Artist Statement
Based in Vienna, Austria, and rooted in her Eurasian heritage, Meryem is a photographer whose work explores themes of nature, grief, pain, and the complexities of human desire. She creates surrealistic worlds that challenge emotional perspectives, blending reality with imagination to evoke profound reflection.
Much of her work is captured on location, allowing her to draw directly from the natural environment to infuse her art with authenticity and connection. Her imagery often blurs the boundaries between inner emotions and the external world, inviting viewers to experience the delicate interplay between vulnerability and strength.
In addition to her photography, she is a part-time makeup artist, a role that complements her artistic practice by delving into expressions of transformation and beauty. This duality enriches her creative vision, enabling her to approach her subjects with a nuanced understanding of human expression.
Through her art, she strives to capture the unseen—a surreal blend of nature and emotion that speaks to the heart of life's intricacies, offering viewers a window into deeply personal yet universally resonant experiences.
Meryem - Photographer
My earliest childhood memory is of being in my room, creating art—experimenting with whatever materials I could find, improvising low-budget solutions when supplies were out of reach. As I grew older, I explored every medium I could get my hands on, but it wasn't until my teenage years that I found my true home in photography. It was then that I realized I could capture my thoughts and emotions visually, translating the intangible into something real. There was something deeply romantic about it—about freezing emotions in time, about seeing myself from the outside while exploring my inner world. Since that moment, I have been passionately in love with photography.
In 2014, I studied Interior and Surface Design, a field that taught me how space, texture, and visual storytelling intertwine. Soon, I merged this knowledge with my photography, initially experimenting with creative makeup and body painting to construct illusions and express emotions. Yet, despite the artistry, something always felt incomplete. The depth I sought to portray remained just out of reach. At the time, I didn't realize what was missing: authenticity.
To truly capture what I needed to express, I had to turn to the one medium I had long avoided—my own self. Stripped of bright colors and painted masks, I stepped in front of the lens, raw and unfiltered. This shift marked a turning point in my work. Self-portraiture became my tool for exploring emotional depth, for translating the complexity of human experience into surreal yet deeply personal imagery.
At the core of my practice is a simple but unwavering mission: to explore deep emotions and foster authentic connections. I am drawn to the uncomfortable, to the unspoken truths we carry. If my art can illuminate those hidden corners of emotion for even one person—if it can make someone feel seen in their own complexity—then it is a success to me.