I recall my first desire to become an artist as early as the age of seven. While other children dreamed of becoming doctors or firefighters, I distinctly remember saying, “I want to be like Picasso.” I’m not sure why. In the 1990s, my only source of information was the Encarta Encyclopedia—perhaps my father mentioned Picasso’s name, and I memorized it. Little did I know then about his work or influence.

As I grew older, I would spend entire days locked in my room painting. I began with oil on canvas, later experimenting with watercolor and photography. Over time, my artistic language evolved into a reflection on light, perception, and the structures that give meaning to visual experience.

Living in New York profoundly shaped this evolution. Immersed in its art world—from volunteering at the Whitney Museum to visiting blue-chip galleries in Chelsea—I became fascinated by the contrast between institutional narratives and the raw creativity of emerging voices. It was as if I had become a quiet observer, decoding the intentions behind both artists and curators.

Art has always had the power to move us—to challenge, to comfort, to stay with us. Yet, not every work speaks to everyone, and that tension sparked my ongoing question: What makes art meaningful today?

I see myself as a humanist. I believe art must serve a purpose—to question, to connect, and to leave a trace that enriches society. Beauty may be subjective, but the responsibility of art to engage the human condition remains universal. At the same time, I have witnessed how market dynamics can sometimes overshadow this purpose, shifting focus from meaning to visibility. This paradox—between sincerity and spectacle—became the core of my current project, WHAT IS ART?

WHAT IS ART? is not a rejection of institutions but a call to reflection. Through collage and recontextualized photography, the project invites viewers to reconsider the systems that define artistic value. Rather than mocking the art world, it seeks to understand its complexity and to question how art can remain both relevant and accessible in a globalized, commercial landscape.

By juxtaposing images, symbols, and fragments of artistic discourse, the work explores the fine line between reverence and irony. It asks whether contemporary art, in its pursuit of innovation, has drifted away from its human and ethical essence. My intention is not to accuse but to reopen dialogue—to remind us that art, at its best, mirrors our shared search for truth, beauty, and connection.

Ultimately, WHAT IS ART? is an invitation—to pause, to look closer, and to rediscover art’s capacity to illuminate rather than obscure. It aspires to bridge intellect and emotion, concept and craft, market and meaning. Above all, it affirms that art’s enduring role is to serve as a space of encounter: between image and idea, artist and viewer, society and self.