Connection

Özlem Solok is an artist with a background in both music and art history. She brings a unique perspective to her work that draws on the rich traditions of both fields. Born and raised in Istanbul, she inherited a deep appreciation for blending cultures characteristic of that city. Her artistic sensibility reflects this in the way it seamlessly blends elements of both Eastern and Western art and culture.

Özlem began her academic career by pursuing a BMus degree in Violin while completing a BA in Art History and Musicology with High Honours. She continued her studies at Goldsmith’s College Cultural Studies programme, where she developed a deep understanding of the social and cultural contexts that inform artistic expression. Later, she received an MA in Social Anthropology from the University of London SOAS, further enhancing her ability to view art as a reflection of the societies in which it is created.

Following her studies, Özlem worked in publishing for several years, rising to become the Editor in Chief of an international avant-garde arts and culture magazine. She authored numerous articles on art, society, history and culture and edited several books on similar subjects. She later attended the Art Business MA programme at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, broadening her understanding of the commercial side of the art world.

While studying Interior Design at the Inchbald School of Design, Özlem discovered a passion for drawing that has become an integral part of her artistic practice. Her drawings are infused with a sense of clarity and precision that reflects her ongoing search for the truth of the human condition.

As an artist, Özlem is deeply committed to reflecting ancient human elements, the environment, and the clarity of the human soul. Her work explores themes of creation, renunciation of worldly things, purification of the soul, and the mystical contemplation of God's nature. She believes in the power of art to reveal these truths to the viewer, and her work is infused with a sense of uplifting and profound spirituality.

Özlem's work has been exhibited and sold in galleries and private collections around the world, including in the US, France, Norway, Italy, and the UK. As a mother and woman artist, she also believes in the power of unconditional love to inspire and sustain the creative spirit. Her work is a testament to the enduring power of art to reflect the most profound truths of the human experience.