“Try to think outside the box.”
Paul Zimmerman in conversation with Nadi Adatepe
Paul Zimmerman: How did you become interested in digital art?
Nadi Adatepe: My journey to become an artist is the result of unsuccessful attempts to express myself through poetry writing and music composing. I needed (or had to) have an anchor to hold on to in life, to fight defeat and rise again. It was this journey that brought me to this type of art. My particular interest in creating digital art from fractals is based on the fact that I believe nothing exists in the way we perceive it, and everything that exists, or existence can be confirmed based on the repetition of the smallest particle, simple shapes, fractals… That mindset, which is the driving force behind his visual art has been crucial to everything to my art.
PZ: What is the most important aspect of your work?
NA: The most important thing in my work is to try to think outside the box, to explore the boundaries between what is generally accepted and those that fall outside. It is all about trying to describe things, in a way we have not faced before!
PZ: How do you define yourself as an artist?
NA: I define myself as an Abstract (digital) Expressionist and a skillful narrator of emotions. Going beyond is the key word of my artworks and what really counts for me is to touch the inner buttons, those that often need to be stimulated in order to escape from the safe place in which contemporary man tends to take refuge.
PZ: What inspires you to create new work?
NA: My art is the story of everything I had been through in life, and how I perceives everything that has happened, and events surrounding me. Everything happening round us inspires me…
PZ: How did your practice change over time?
NA: I developed my own technique which I call “mutual conception” based on fractal art in the last two years, after trying myself in many different styles and techniques. And now my biggest passion is showing people a new way of looking at things, but that does not mean that the way I perceives them is same as the others do. That is not the point for me either.
My works will talk to each viewer individually and give a personal experience and interpretation. Because all people are unique it will be natural that what others see is different, especially for those who have an open mind and are curious about new ideas …
Our dreams and our imagination are limited by our knowledge, and here I opens a door to the unknown through my style, or new movement which I call “Mutual conception”.
Mutual conception describes the logical interaction, combination between two or more fractal creations, which are created with different techniques and styles, where each of them benefits in result by creating something new, something outside of the traditional concepts, without losing their identity.
PZ: What are you working on now?
NA: I have been working on a project called ” in the spider’s web” since April – May. I make a series of pictures that describe what we all experience these difficult times marked by pandemics, economic difficulties, social unrest, climate change and an uncertain future. The name ” in the spider’s web” describes how many billions of people including me experiencing all that happens…
PZ: How do you see the role of art in our society?
As Arts Council England (2014) describes “Life without the collective resources of our libraries, museums, theatres and galleries, or without the personal expression of literature, music and art, would be static and sterile – no creative arguments about the past, no diverse and stimulating present and no dreams of the future.”
PZ: Which artists are you most influenced by?
NA: Many compare my art to Francis Picabia. It’s true that I like many artists and Francis Picabia is one of my favorites, but I do not think I am inspired by them. I am familiar with doing things my own way and visual art is no exception.
PZ: What is your next project?
NA: My project for 2021 – 2022 when we done with pandemic is participate some exhibitions in Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and USA if it will be possible.
PZ: How does the pandemic influence your work and sensibility?
NA: All stress caused by the pandemic of course affects me and my art but I as a person like to criticize thing in a positive way (constructive criticism) and therefore my art work lately is about what the pandemic does to our society and how it destroys the human bond that creates society.