Biography
Born in Sivas, Turkey, in 1983, Şeyda Özdamar studied Textile and Fashion Design at Sivas Cumhuriyet University before pursuing sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Kayseri. Her work explores shifts in educational systems and their societal impacts, often critiquing the biases inherent in photography. Özdamar values the enlightenment provided by children and views analogue photography as a powerful tool for creating historical records that enrich collective memory. She sees photographs as nostalgic, personal artifacts and uses them to expose the darkness within organized social systems, challenging authority and addressing issues such as war, gender inequality, child abuse, human rights, racism, and discrimination. Özdamar describes her process as hunting for “emotions reflected in the found image” while “erasing almost everything else,” using artistic intervention on old photographs as a means to confront and reconcile her personal concerns.
Artwork
