Fatima Argun

I've been painting on and off since I was 8 years old, and am proud to say I've been in every ArtOMatic since 2000!!! (yay)!

My work is mostly about color and vibrancy and I convey these on my canvases by intimately tapping into my other senses. I believe, for example that music and colors are closely related, and I often like to listen to pieces with complex jazz rhythms, Sufi hymns or classical compositions when creating my works, which opens the way to access a deeper dimension of my creativity.

Although I started out painting in oils, I now use primarily acrylics and occasionally mixed media. This allows me the greatest freedom of expression and color ranges. I have many inspirations from visual artists, including Edward Hopper, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu and of course, the dadaists and surrealists. My work also draws a great deal of inspiration from the celebration of nature as expressed in poetry, primarily Rumi. I believe my art should be--and is--completely intuitive and whimsical--at least that's the way I feel when I'm creating my work! :-)

I think Matisse once said: "the artist has to look at life as he did when he was a child." In my paintings, I try to elicit a sense of joy and wonder and a carefree spirit. Ultimately, I think art should stimulate and perpetuate curiosity, and bring out the best in both the artist and the viewers--and if it achieves this purpose, I think it has succeeded.