About the collectıon
SELF ARISTOCRACIA
For a long time I was just an artist on my notebooks, random scrap papers. In my younger years, I simply survived through art(recognize digital imperfections and amateur touches all around the site). Watercolor paintings were the ultimate works of art that we used to create. When I was about 23, I created the first of my digital artwork on my PC using a good amount of Photoshop and 3D models of my favorite game character. I created poses of my favorite action hero, Lara Croft, as I am still obsessed with the Tomb Raider games since day one.
My artistic concepts have changed over these many years. I was never able to get into professional digital art simply because the tools I needed were not in my budget. Besides, after graduating from the Faculty of Engineering, I immediately started my career as a civil engineer. I try to keep up with my artwork as much as possible. At a certain stage of my journey, I completely abandoned drawing things and turned to daily routines in order to survive.
Having a life in this particular zone between Europe and the Middle East has such characteristics that artists are not particularly respected or appreciated. After many years in civil engineering, I came to realize where I felt that I was not even free to become a civil engineer, as I should be in this culturally and politically complicated geography. I was discriminated against and bullied countless times in school, college, and the workplace because of my darker skin color, my status in the public, the state I belong, the college I graduated from, my gender, my personality (at my previous workplace I was literally bullied because I was so cheerful and could laugh very loudly).I was discriminated against in almost every environment I was in, for any reason one can imagine. Eventually, these bad voices made me question my self-worth, so many times that I can't remember. Therefore, breaking the chains and gaining self-confidence occupies a big place in my life.
"Self-confidence is the best make-up".
At the current stage of my life, I am the one fighting back against all the micro-minded(this is what I call people who have nothing but narrow point of view towards life) people around me and even within me. I am in a constant war with bad thoughts and discrimination damage.
Finally, I came up with the idea of starting NFTs because blockchain technology and cryptocurrency are the revolution that is taken for granted. I firmly believe that this is a new way of money can change the dynamics of relationship with power in the world. And some nations are already at the forefront of this movement because of the mere struggle with their government or those in power. This is also about one recognising its environment and being more conscious. When I heard about the world of non-fungible tokens and its benefits, bells rang around me because I was always looking for a way to do justice to the artist in me. Besides, non-fungible tokens are the ultimate assets of the future and have many financial benefits.
"Gaining financial freedom through art"
Self-confidence and self-love have an important impact on my life and many others. This is how the idea of Self Aristocracia NFT collection was born.
It was indeed exhausting to work for six to seven months at a stretch, including cultures, skin colors, various genetics etc. Especially when you set your work around this being hand craftted only (even though it has been created with digital tools). I was planning to add many more layers, but I had to release the collection for astrological reasons(Suprise I am also an asltrologer). I would really like to add all the features I had in my mind, all the colors of gender, body types. But unfortunately my digital art skills would not suffice as I was working with an Autodesk based drawing app on my very old Ipad with my not excellent skills (digital pens do not work on my Ipad). Although I had to release the first part of the collection, I will keep working and release the rest of the project progressively.
Aligning around the the main inspiration behind, Self Aristocracia, points out that we are the masters of our own lives. Hypothetically, ancient paintings of known history are the images of people. These paintings depict self-love, like a higher class persona in a portrait.
We are all the protagonists of our own lives and this is the only thing we have to master if we want to maintain it with the many destructive emotions caused by others or sadly sometimes by ourselves. Today we understand more about equality. Human rights are getting better and better, even if this fact becomes hard to believe from time to time.
"We are all kings and queens of our unique path."
To become one, desire it. You will always have time to realize your own potential and explore your self-worth. Become the king/queen of self-esteem. In my work for Self Aristocracia collection, I have focused mainly on crowns and tiaras. Why? Because we can all agree crowns are basically the objects associated with dominion or ruling over something. I usually used my bare hands (handmaddame) to create every detail and never used a single preset image or photo as a direct source, like inserting an image into the application and editing it. I have tried to create different hair types, especially short hair (short hair looks powerful), makeup styles, dresses, crowns and jewelry with gems that I have done with tapping my fingers and blown my mind due to lot of brain work on geometry and physics. I created eyes that always look above, simply because I believe that is the most important attitude demonstrating one's pride. I also have so many inspiration from real people of our world. I created Lady Diana's eyes and hairstyle, come of the dresses of Marylin Monroe. Created many eyes, lips and eyebrows that I liked so much when I saw the final results, and many more features that I always been admired.
Naming each feature to honor the women of the world, I only used female figures because I have always believed and witnessed with my own eyes that women suffer the most in this world of men. When I think of women who bully women, men who bully women, anyone who consciously or unconsciously acts against women, I could only use female models. I have observed so many people throughout my life and have always witnessed the way women have been treated by others.
Finally, because of my artistic abilities (being only familiar with female features because I was this little girl who chase after her mother asking for a new doll dawing so I can paint them with my crayons) I had to use female figures in my collection which have the standard size.
Despite my feminen work that I exaplaied the reasons for, I dedicate my work to all people, regardless of gender,skin color, culture, size, race and religion.
I have received so much help and support from my work colleagues as I do not have a single coding experience. I am so thankful for all of you. Thanking Fatih KAYA, Göksel USTUNDAG and Kerem BOYACI for all their support. I appreciate it more than life.
So Just remember
"You came up with this bizarre floating rock."
"You are the most interesting phenomenon of the cosmos."
"And you are indeed precious. Choose a portrait to remember it, every day."
Handmaddame