Behind the Brush

Artist Bio & Statement

Karya is a Berlin-based oil painter and 1st gen migrant woman from the Middle East.

Her artistic path began under watercolour master Rukiye Garip in Türkiye, who gifted her the work ethic and mindset of an artist, a compass that directs her still. She sought out formal training in Europe when her focus turned to oil painting. She found no guidance in her university, a sanctuary for those who critique art more than they create it.

So she asked herself, how did the old masters learn before modern institutions? She found the answer in history books, studying the lives of European masters, replicating their methods, learning through mastercopies as their apprentices once did. This self-directed path shaped not only her technique but her philosophy: If it exists, it can be studied. If it can be studied, then it can be surpassed.

Armed with passion and a brush, Karya explores the conflicts, dreams and realities of her era and her lived experience as both a woman and a migrant, confronting themes of isolation, femininity, violence and resilience.

Her identity, her themes and her style as an artist coexist in unresolved tension: between her adoration for the European masters and the knowledge that they devalued the arts of her people and silenced stories like hers.

Karya paints with determination to reclaim her space in this artistic tradition.