About - Bio
Ceyda Oskay is currently from Istanbul. She has studied in London, Chicago, and Cape Town, and spent significant time in Kuwait and other parts of the Middle East. She is a visual artist who works across media, collaborating with people, places, and materials. Her textile, print, ceramics, painting, sculpture, and installation work are often around themes of migration, exchange, and transformation.
Her work has moved from being about war (having been an aid worker for over ten years, as well as having experienced forced-migration), to being about bringing people together, mostly through socially engaged practice. Though researched, her artwork is often an intuitive response to places and situations. Her artwork also includes making Talisman T-shirts.
She has published research on nomadic textiles, the South African National Gallery, and other issues.
She and also makes healing garments, uniquely dyed, printed, and constructed, through her brand: cc by co (custom clothing by Ceyda Oskay). She also designs clothes for theatre and dance performances.
She holds an MA from the Royal College of Art and took courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Istanbul Fashion/Moda Academy (IMA), and Central Saint Martins. She obtained a BA in International Studies (with research at the South African National Gallery in Cape Town, and art and social change) from the University of Chicago, and an MA from the Middle East Technical University in Middle East Studies (with research on tribalism, state-formation, and citizenship in Kuwait).
She has exhibited her work in the United Kingdom (including the Royal Academy Summer Show, Liverpool Alternates Biennial), USA (including SOMArts, SF), Turkey (5533, Pasaj, Halka Sanat), Kuwait (CAP group shows, SADI 2016 and other), India (TAPI Festival), Iceland, Ireland, as well as Greece, Jordan, UAE, Wales, Nepal and has travelled to around 27 countries. The travels, places, people, culture, and histories have influenced her work and way of working.
She is available to teach workshops related to textiles, fashion, drawing, and printing to individuals, educational institutes, and corporations, and has experience teaching at university level. Her workshops include: natural dyes, block printing/ linoleum printing, screen-printing, ceramics, painting and drawing, and other textile work. She has teaching experience in the United Kingdom, USA, Turkey, Kuwait, India, Iceland, Ireland and online.
She is also a grant-writer, having experience on projects from working with the United Nations for over ten years.
She has exhibited her work in the United Kingdom, USA, Turkey, Kuwait, India, Iceland, Ireland, as well as Greece, Jordan, UAE, Wales, Nepal and has travelled to around 27 countries. The travels, places, people, culture, and histories have influenced her work and way of working. She is currently based between Turkey, the UK, and Kuwait.
She is available for consultancies, art and writing commissions and workshops. You can email her through the contact page, or reach her through DM at instagram: ceyda.oskay.art
Link here: Interview with Studio International, January 2023
Link here: Work featured in Apollo Magazine, UK, 2021 as part of the ‘Sounds Like Home’ exhibition at SOMA.
Link here: The Arts Society, UK, recommended my artwork in the Summer Show. 2021
Link here: Decorating Dissidence, UK, 2021 Healing Clothing interview
Link here: Article in All Things Arabia, Brill Publications 2020