My Biography

I was born in 1955 in Sinop.  Türkiye’s happiest city — an ancient settlement on the northern edge of the Black Sea, with roots dating back to the 7th century BCE.

I completed my elementary, middle, and high school education at charter schools in Istanbul, followed by a two-year program at an English language institution, from which I graduated.

At the age of thirteen, I was recognized as gifted in painting and began my first formal artistic training under distinguished professors at the Academy of Fine Arts. Since then, I have pursued painting with passion and dedication.

From 1990 to 1995, I owned a photo store in New Jersey, where I developed black-and-white photographs manually and restored old images through detailed corrections. Between 2005 and 2012, I worked as an arts and crafts instructor in the after-care program at the Children’s House of Boca Raton Preschool in Florida, sharing my love of creativity with young students.

For me, painting is a form of expression that nurtures creativity, expands imagination, and allows me to convey emotion. I draw my deepest inspiration from the works of French Impressionist Edgar Degas. Capturing the movement of dance—its light, shadow, and color through the natural grace of ballerinas—remains for me an experience of profound intensity.

In addition to dance, I have a strong passion for portraiture. My works have been exhibited in:

• FTAA Art Exhibition

• TMAS Art Exhibition

• Sinop Street Art Exhibition

I am especially honored to have created a portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Türkiye, for the Atatürk Museum in Sinop.

My goal is to share my art with a wider audience by continuing to exhibit both past and future works in libraries and museums.

With warmest regards,
Fusun Erim