A little bit about Sermin:
Sermin Ciddi is a renowned Turkish artist skilled in modern miniature (minyatür) painting, one of the highly specialized visual arts of Ottoman and Turkish culture along with calligraphy (hat) and marbling paper (ebru). Born in Istanbul, Ms. Ciddi takes inspiration from a variety of sources; places she has lived and traveled to, the architectural salience of each location, and finally, their interaction with surrounding nature. Ms. Ciddi studied and worked with Turkey’s premier artists at the Istanbul State Fine Arts Academy and elsewhere before joining their ranks with her first exhibition of her work in 1996. Her art has been displayed in numerous galleries and cultural centers across Turkey and the United States, including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (2021), Anne Marie Sculpture Garden’s “Folksy” (Summer 2019) exhibit, the TAG Gallery’s “Postcards from the Ledge” (May 2018), Mosaic Gallery’s “Contempo” exhibition (July 2018), and “Today’s Masters” series displayed as part of the 2010 Istanbul European Cultural Capital celebrations. In April 2017, Ms. Ciddi was selected to be a permanent member of the Torpedo Factory Artist Association, close to where she resides in Alexandria.
Where to find Sermin:
Web: serminciddi.com
Instagram: @serminciddi
Studio: Torpedo Factory studio #328 in Alexandria, VA
“Winter Wonderland in Old Town Alexandria” by Sermin Ciddi
1. How did you first discover your interest in art?
As a child, I was captivated by illustrations in books which my mom purchased for me. Pictographic depictions of stories fired up my imagination and allowed me to become completely immersed in the stories being told.
2. What was the first work of art/artist you remember being excited about?
I embrace the use of vivid color in my work. This was primarily influenced by seeing the works of Van Gogh in a book for the first time as a young teenager. His colors remind me of the first time I discovered the use of coloring pencils which one had to wet in your mouth prior to applying them on paper. His colors took me back to this first experience.
“Old Town Alexandria in the Fall” by Sermin Ciddi
3. What was your dream job as a child?
I had three dream jobs as a young adult: artist, psychiatrist and sociologist. I am actually happy that I became at least one of them!
4. Did you have an art mentor?
Of course! I owe my entire training as a miniature artist to one person: the late Nusret Colpan, who passed away in 2008. He was among the leading miniature artists in Turkey and helped revive a long overlooked traditional Ottoman art form, by transforming it into the realm of the contemporary. His work is world renowned. I was both his student and personal assistant between 2002-2008. I owe him everything.
5. What is the one art supply or tool that brings you the most joy?
Everything related to art: brushes, paint (all types!), pencils and utensils. All art supply stores are playgrounds for me. I get lost in them and end up spending a considerable amount of time before making my purchase.
6. What’s the last movie or book you really enjoyed?
The book “Little Prince” by Antoine St-Exupery and Michel de Montaigne’s “Essays” are two volumes I keep close to my bedside. They are not the latest, but books which influence and inspire me the most. In the realm of movies,
The Lord of the Rings and the Matrix series have a disproportionate influence on my imagination. In the recent past, I very much enjoyed viewing Nomadland.
7. What kind of music (if any) do you listen to while creating art?
It depends on my mood, but I often listen to classical music, especially arias. That being said, in my studio, visitors also often hear jazz and pop music.
8. What advice would you give to someone just starting their art journey?
An education in art to establish a foundation is essential. Without this, I often find contemporary artists can be a little rudderless. Following formative training, this will enable the artist to discover and focus on their own direction, style and passion. It is true there are many self-taught artists who are successful in history, but for me, these tend to be exception and not the rule.
9. Are you a night owl or early bird?
I tend to be an early bird, as I appreciate the energy I derive from rising early. Also, I spend a lot of my sleeping hours and dreams composing and thinking of colors!
11. How long does it take you to feel finished with a piece of art, and how do you decide it’s done?
It depends. Miniature painting, by nature, is a time intensive process compared to more contemporary styles like abstract painting. Composition and color determination are labor intensive processes. In the first instance, I have to be able to compose the artwork in my mind, before I can apply it on canvas. Depending on the topic, some works can take 3 months-especially architectural works, like my legacy Alexandria map depictions, which were masterfully reproduced by Old Town Editions! Instinct also plays a huge part: knowing when a painting is complete is a determination by the artist that the right balance, composition, and color scheme, as well as the overall meaning conveyed, is present.
11. How would you describe your art in three words?
Colorful, captivating, dreamy. (Many visitors to my studio state that they would like to live inside my paintings.)
“Old Town Alexandria in the Moonlight” by Sermin Ciddi
12. What fictional person do you want to meet the most?
Peter Pan–of course!!
13. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about being an artist?
I honestly have no least favorite aspect of being an artist. I am truly content in what I do and am lucky. The best aspect of what I do, is to take what I see with my own eyes and reinterpret it by applying my imagination to it!
14. If you could only create art of one subject for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Good question: mosty nature, and especially clouds. My camera is full of pictures of clouds especiall,y and I spend a lot of my flying time in airplanes taking pictures of clouds. You can see this in many of my works.
15. If you could have a studio anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I love my studio in the Torpedo Factory. It has become my home. I love the environment, colleagues and friends I have made since 2017. If I could have a dream come true, I’d love to be able to display my work in different studios in different countries for a month at a time.
“Two Seas” by Sermin Ciddi