‘You cannot depend on your eyes
when your imagination is out of focus’
-Mark Twain

 

Filiz Emma Soyak’s creative energy thrives on the challenge of navigating through new environments and adapting to diverse cultures. Born in Belgium to a Swedish mother and Turkish father, and raised in Japan and the United States, her travels and global experiences have inspired her to look deeper. Through her work Filiz pursues perspectives and hidden meanings that construct her motivation as an artist and human being.

In July 2008, Filiz moved from Boston in the U.S. to Amman, Jordan. She spent a year absorbing and digesting the daily observations of her new home. Interpreting the collection of new stimuli in the form of sights, sounds, and daily interactions, her paintings translated her impressions of Jordan; from the city and busy energy of Amman, to the ancient rocks of Petra, to the desert sands of Wadi Rum.

Filiz’s current work explores territory beyond the retinal experience into memories and subconscious impressions. Her paintings are an exploration of the seen and the unseen; imagined and tangible landscapes. Compelled to paint what she sees and feels her work is a combination of the world around her and life experiences. Filiz’s work reveals to the viewer the concept of a life and place beyond words and representational images.

Attracted to the energy of ancient places and worn surfaces, Filiz’s work tells a story behind every mark and scratch. She uses mixed media to create depth through layers of acrylics, oil pastels, sands, photography, and collage of handmade and found papers. An intuitive painter, she tries to finish each painting in one sitting to grasp the often fleeting moments and moods.

Filiz urges viewers to open their minds and senses to new interpretation. She believes that in the process of juxtaposing what we know to what we have just discovered, we gain insight to new perspectives and modalities of thought.

Filiz’s work has been exhibited and collected internationally. She is delighted and honored to share her work expressing her impressions of multicultural experiences.

(updated January 2010)