We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ozgun Sezen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ozgun , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
From an early age, art has always been part of my life—both of my parents were art teachers, so I grew up in an environment where creativity was not only encouraged but embraced as a way of living. Art and painting are at the very center of my life.
Discipline has been very important in this journey. I never stopped creating and working consistently. At the same time, being able to define the emotions that life experiences have given me and translate them onto the canvas has provided me with an inner strength. For me, art is both a form of expression and a way of transforming lived experiences into an aesthetic language.
So, my confidence and self-esteem come from persistence, from continuing to create with discipline, and from realizing that in both art and life, being productive is far more powerful than being perfect
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
In 4th grade, I represented my school in a painting competition and won first place. With both of my parents being art teachers, it felt like proof that this talent had naturally been passed down to me. From those years on, the art of painting has always been the main focus of my life.
When it came to high school, I had no hesitation in taking the exam for the Fine Arts High School, and I was accepted. My school was very new, but this gave me the opportunity to study with some of Turkey’s most distinguished teachers. This experience immersed me fully in art during my high school years.
This strong educational environment helped me gain admission to the university’s painting department with third place. At that time, my professors gave me great confidence and encouraged me not to limit myself to being only an art teacher, but to always give painting a place in my life as an artist.
After my university education, I started working as an art teacher at a private college, while also launching my own studio practice. At the college, I worked within the disciplined framework of the German education system, which combines art with general education. In my studio, I began receiving special commissions for projects from some of the best interior architects in my city as well as other countries like UK, Dubai etc.
Over time, as my style matured, I opened many solo exhibitions. With my recognition growing and my abstract, contemporary interpretation being appreciated, my paintings began to take their place in many prestigious venues and interior design projects
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I believe one of the most important qualities for a painter is the ability to draw even the simplest object, but to reflect it through their own unique perspective and personal style with both skill and desire.
When it comes to expressing emotions, I try to move away from the feelings imposed by life and instead let the emotions of my inner world flow freely onto the canvas. This has helped me find a language of my own in art.
Another crucial point is understanding where and how painting is positioned within both past and contemporary art movements. This knowledge plays a major role in shaping an artist’s personal style for the future.
And I must add: having a style that is appreciated should never become an obstacle to its growth and evolution. An artist must continue experimenting with courage, because true progress and innovation are born that way.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I can see that my works are appreciated both through the feedback I receive on social media and from the responses at my solo exhibitions. My style aligns very well with contemporary interior design, which is why interior architects, art consultants, and their clients are among my regular collectors.
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Image Credits
Özgün Sezen
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