I was born in Düzce, Turkey. I graduated from the Faculty of Education at Marmara University in Istanbul. I retired after 28 years of teaching. Alongside painting, I have also written two novels — one titled “Loneliness Stories with My Daughters,” and the other “The Petition Writer’s Shop.” I’ve been drawn to painting since childhood and have tried to paint whenever I could. Over the 25 years I spent living in Istanbul, and in several other cities, I took part in various solo and group exhibitions. I participated multiple times in the art fairs held by IAAF in Istanbul, Izmir, and Bodrum. My work draws its roots from the beauty of nature and of women. Goddesses like Aphrodite, Luna, Athena, and Venus — their fertility, wisdom, and the way they shaped the world — are what I try to reflect in my paintings. Every brushstroke carries their strength and their emotion. Like white snowflakes, each new piece I create carries a beginning and a sense of hope. My aim is to create work that surprises people, excites them, even brings them joy. I believe in art’s power to heal and to transform. Every painting is a door that lets viewers reflect their own feelings and thoughts back at themselves. Would you be willing to open that door with me, to get to know my art? With love, Sevim YILDIZ