Bedia Ekiz

Born in 1987 in Çukurova-Osmaniye, Bedia Ekiz completed her primary and secondary education in the region. After attending the Mustafabeyli Vocational High School, she graduated from the Adana Anadolu Fine Arts High School. She continued her education at Marmara University, where she completed a bachelor's degree in Art Education and later a Master's degree at Yeditepe University in the Department of Fine Arts with a thesis on 'Intervention in 21st Century Art and the Understanding of Nature'. At the same time, she attended an artist residency at the European Exchange Academy in Dartmoor, UK.

Influenced by her geographic origins, Bedia Ekiz integrates bio-art, land-art, and identity themes into her multidisciplinary practice. She aims to raise awareness on these subjects through her artwork, which is created with a lifestyle that blends agriculture and natural living. She records her experiences from her birthplace and surroundings through videos, sketches, sound recordings, and collected objects. Using these records, she explores deeper meanings using techniques like charcoal, oil painting, and drawing. Philosophically, psychoanalytically, and sociologically, she investigates the roots of human existence.

She recently participated in the 1001 Night Tales Exhibition at Taksim Art, focusing on female narratives, with works such as 'Sahmeran in Her Sleep, The Whispers of the Snake'.

Previously, she worked on her own manifesto, creating 'Yorok-Göç' project during a performance, traveling from Derebucak in Konya to Manavgat, covering a journey of ninety kilometers. She presented the impressions from this experience through the platform of Skec, resulting in a collective work displayed at Contemporary Istanbul 2022.

She curated an exhibition titled 'Bir Yok Oluş Repertuar', which focused on the contemporary crises of our time, and participated in the 'Uzak Yakın Hafıza' series. She also exhibited in the 'Temas' group show, organized by the İzmir Darağ Collective, which focused on urban interventions.

Together with her artist friends, she co-curated and organized the 'Apartman52' project, focusing on personal experiences, which took place during the pandemic, and during this project, she also opened her private studio to the public, showcasing the 'Uzak-Yakın Hafiza' series.

In 2020, she participated in the 'Asia Gezlerini Kagirma' exhibition at the Karşı Sanat Gallery, which focused on art not often shown or displayed, including her work titled 'Kırıntılardan Geriye Kalanlar, Ses ve Sessizliğin İçinde'.

In 2016, she participated in an artist residency program in Dartmoor, UK. In 2017, she joined the Akbank Contemporary Art Exhibition. She has been active in the art scene, including at the Mamut Art Project 2014, and continues to pursue her art practice in Istanbul and Çukurova, where she focuses on rural landscapes and examines the biological, ecological, and historical aspects of her home region.