Suzan Pektaş
Suzan Pektaş (1977-) visual story teller, artist. She works and lives in Istanbul.
Pektaş's artistic practice is centered on photography and video narratives that focus on issues such as women, migration, identity, and social memory, and are linked to space, portraiture, and performance. In its most broad sense, as the artist explores the subtleties of visual storytelling from documentary to contemporary photography, she blends her approach with autobiographical elements. Pektaş has been interested in the art of photography since her university years and has supported her artistic production with various workshops and training programs. Between 2015-2016, she attended the philosophy of contemporary photography, visual sociology, gender and contemporary photography courses at Galata Fotoğrafhanesi Photography Academy as a guest student. In 2021, she participated in the Documentary MA program within the PhMuseum Education Program based in Italy and completed her documentary work focusing on the life of an African community living in Turkey. Her recent solo exhibitions include Matter and Reaction: A 20th Century Urban Ideal and the Balya Mine, Salt Araştırma (Beyoğlu), Istanbul (2023); Naomi, Barın Han, Istanbul (2022) Dreams The Black Sea, Leica Gallery Zingst, Germany (2020). Some of her group exhibitions are The Sea Holds Me, The Worlds Snares Me, Büyükdere35, 212 Photography Festival Istanbul (2023); What's Normal to Remember?, BantMag Bina, Istanbul (2021).
Books:
“Gravity Of You”, MASA Publications, 2020
“Dreams The Black Sea”, EyeShot Publications, 2021