Born in Istanbul, Zeynep Solakoğlu is a painter and storyteller whose work exists in the space between myth and memory. Her surreal worlds merge fantasy with personal history, giving shape to emotions that might otherwise remain invisible. Each composition unfolds as a story in color and form, a meeting place for symbolism, womanhood, and transformation.
Solakoğlu’s practice extends across painting and ceramics. Beginning with ink and watercolor, she later embraced oil paint and clay, allowing her narratives to move fluidly between surface and structure. Her handmade vases become sculptural continuations of her paintings, carrying the same spirit of imagination and introspection. The imagery, often drawn from mythological or literary archetypes, serves as a mirror for her own evolution.
Influenced by Remedios Varo, Marc Chagall, and the language of early cinema, Solakoğlu treats storytelling as both inheritance and resistance. She reclaims the image as a site of quiet rebellion, blending tenderness with strength, play with precision. Her work speaks to a rhythm of life that values patience and growth over immediacy, aligning with her ongoing exploration of the idea of “late blooming” in both nature and the self.
Her illustrated book Orange Girl is available internationally, including through SF MoMA bookstores. She holds a degree in Visual Communication Design from Bilgi University and has exhibited across Europe, the United States, and Asia. She continues to live and work in Istanbul, cultivating a practice that connects ancient symbols to the intimate textures of modern life.
Currently Exhibiting in: Brooklyn, NY
Web: zeynep-solakoglu.com
Instagram: @zeynepsolakoglu
Featured Artwork at Bushwick Gallery
Title: The Butterfly Vase
Year of Creation: 2025
Medium: Ceramic vase, underglaze surface painting
Dimensions: 14 × 25 cm
Edition Type: Unique, 1 of 1
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Price: $1,700
Description
The Butterfly Vase emerges from Solakoğlu’s fascination with the rhythm of nature and the quiet wisdom of things that take their time. Shaped in clay and painted with underglaze, the piece embodies the philosophy of late blooming — the grace of growing at one’s own pace. The vessel form becomes both body and metaphor, a container of breath and patience.
Its imagery suggests metamorphosis: the butterfly as a symbol of renewal and the clay surface as the earth it rises from. Within the delicate curves of the vase, traces of ancient crafts and modern imagination coexist. Solakoğlu allows each brushstroke to feel like a whisper from an older world, one where transformation happens slowly and without spectacle.
The work offers a space for reflection. It does not shout for attention but invites the viewer to dwell quietly inside its world and to consider the beauty of unfolding in time.
Exhibition Information
Exhibition Title: Vivid Force: The Power of Bold Color
Curated by: Michael O’Malley
Theme: Vivid Force celebrates the energy of bold color as a language of emotion and strength. From radiant reds to deep indigos, the exhibition reveals how artists transform color into movement and meaning.
Exhibition Dates: November 13 – November 20, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 13 / 6 PM – 8 PM
Private Showings & Events: Invite-only throughout the week