Artist Statement

As an international artist, oil painter, curator, and author, I have had the privilege of living in Istanbul, France, and Brazil and extensively traveling in Western Europe. These immersive experiences in diverse cultures, art, and history have profoundly shaped my artistic values and style.

Everyone needs acceptance and a sense of community. Sometimes, we let cultural differences put up walls that prevent others from connecting. 

Traveling the world, one would witness what I've seen—that tears have no colors, love is love, and both are universal. Emotions transcend cultural boundaries, and this universal language of emotions forms the essence of art. Art, in its purest form, can serve as a powerful tool to dismantle the barriers of our differences.

My style as an oil painter is landscape impressionism and abstract. There is a dynamic interplay between emotions and the colors I use. I strive to draw my viewers into the paintings, allowing them to escape to a world of peace, harmony, or majestic power. My art is a sanctuary from the stresses of everyday life, offering solace from work, relationships, fears, and troubles.

I use texture to give the paintings life. When you look at the sunflowers in "Sunflowers on a Windy Day," you can feel the wind gently brush across your face, hear it whisper through the flowers as they softly sway against one another, and feel at peace. In "Point Break," I have a giant wave where you can feel the power behind Mother Nature as she crashes along the point break, and you can smell the salt of the sea as it washes you away.

My responsibility as an artist is to cross cultures, raise awareness of events worldwide, help make the world a better place, and bring joy to people.

Victoria Derin Isikman