was born and brought up in Istanbul, Turkey and has been living in London for almost three decades. She exhibited in Istanbul, London, Bergen and on the QE2 liner. Many of her works are in private collections in Turkey, UK, Ireland, Portugal, Oman, Sydney and the USA.
In recent years Belgin has been working to create surfaces with layers and textures in order to capture a sense of accumulation and seeking to get a sense of sight into hidden spaces on surfaces. This has evolved into the making of several collections within the category of the wall pieces.
A king was going to attack his neighbour. All night long he’s thinking to himself, “I’m going to go; I’m going to attack. I don’t know if I will survive. I might die. If I die, will I go to heaven? Will I go to hell? Will I go to heaven? Then the question bounced in his head, “What is heaven? What is hell?
So, the next morning he gets up; he gets ready in his shining armour, he’s got his army behind, and he’s marching—and here he’s going, “What is heaven? What is hell?” And he sees a wise man coming the other way—goes over to the wise man—and he says, “Wise man, tell me, what is heaven? What is hell?”
The wise man says, “ I am on my way, and I don’t have time to explain to you, ‘What is heaven, what is hell’” And the king becames furious. “How dare you! Don’t you know who I am? I’m the king! How dare you tell me you don’t have time to explain to me a simple question that I have asked you?
The wise man says, “King, right now you’re in hell.” The king stops; starts to ponder: “Oh my God! It really is hell. And I don’t feel good; I’m fuming; I’m angry. I’m in hell. Wow!” He gets off his horse, gets on his knees: “Thank you so much for clarifying this. In a moment you have removed such a doubt from me. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.” And the wise man says, “King, now you are in heaven.”
– Prem Rawat, An Excerpt from his address in Malaysia 2017
Drawing on the themes of existence, self and identity I create sculptural ceramic works, installations and wall pieces. Working with such powerful themes, I am able to draw on personal understanding and knowledge that helps me relate and communicate with others. My work examines the notion of continuing evolution and change; that things are not perfectly smooth, spotless or still. It is about the contrast between inside and out and the tension this creates.
I look for what is most alike between us as opposed to differences because I feel this is where we meet most easily. My work is about giving voice to this inner unity and indicating that the visible outer shell, with courage and clarity, can be penetrated. I aim to achieve a sense of hope and beauty that is common to us all. I want to touch the human heart.
I am an Arts4Giving artist, which supports peace and humanitarian projects around the world.
