I grew up in Istanbul, Türkiye, and moved to the U.S. at 13, right in the midst of teenage angst, made even more complicated by culture shock. As time passed, I found myself longing for home. I missed the familiar sounds of the language and the emotions each word carries, and the comfort of the streets I once knew like the back of my hand, the same streets where I played hide-and-seek, climbed trees, and had my first scooter incident, earning a bloody knee as a souvenir. More than anything, I missed having friends.

In an attempt to reconnect, I turned to the books that once brought me comfort. I revisited the worlds of Neil Gaiman, İpek Ongun, and C.S. Lewis, and in doing so, I reignited my passion for storytelling through illustration.

I illustrate because I want to recreate the warmth and wonder I felt as a child, flipping through the pages of books I couldn’t yet read at five years old. The feelings, a mix of wonder, curiosity, nostalgia, joy, mystery, and sometimes even eeriness, still influence the way I create today. That feeling, the way stories can transport, comfort, and inspire, is what I strive to capture in my own work. Whether it’s through whimsical bedtime tales, charming animal adventures, or otherworldly yet enchanting narratives, I want my illustrations to leave an impression that lasts for years to come.