Jülide Zeynep Günce discusses her new exhibition 'Piece of Mind': 'We will face our shadow sides and our fears'

12punto.com.tr / Arif Hür

Making a name for herself in the art world with her unique style, Jülide Zeynep Günce is preparing to present her new exhibition, titled 'Piece of Mind', to art enthusiasts. Drawing inspiration from the famous philosopher Spinoza, Günce emphasizes the importance of 'knowing oneself'.

We spoke extensively with the artist, who focuses primarily on the concepts of 'Belonging' and 'Creation' in her works, about the formation process of her new exhibition, her self-discovery, the concept of freedom, her art career, and life in general, with a particular focus on her inspiration, Spinoza....

What was the formation process of your exhibition titled 'Piece of Mind'?

The human need to know and understand oneself is a process that always guides our lives and pushes us to question. Piece of Mind was born out of my need to know myself during a period when I was searching for meaning in my own life.

What was your primary motivation during the preparation process for the exhibition?

My greatest motivation was realizing that when I traced every event in my life, it pushed me toward change and transformation. Knowing that everything I experienced served a whole cleansed me of my burdens and set me free.

'WHEN WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE SERVE...'

You state that you set out from the desire to know yourself. Is knowing oneself that easy?

In my opinion, 'knowing oneself' is, in a sense, a person understanding, accepting, and making peace with themselves. As we try to become better versions of ourselves over time, we alienate ourselves without realizing it.

However, once we understand our role in this life and what we serve, we can feel more belonging and useful to this world.

How do you address this feeling in your works?

In each of my works, I focused a bit on our roles in life and tried to interpret the scenes that caught my attention. The viewer's interpretation of the work and their perception of the message is debatable from person to person. For an artist, a work is a way of self-expression. Sometimes this path may not mean anything to the viewer, or they may load it with deep meanings.

A person's mood, the subjects that catch their attention, and their perspective on life can either complicate or facilitate the perception of the message given.

'THE FEELING OF BELONGING IS A COMMON THEME FOR US ALL'

If we touch upon the concepts of 'Belonging' and 'Creation' that you frequently emphasize in your art life... These concepts have been debated for centuries. What is your perspective on these concepts?

Belonging is the most fundamental step of our existence. From the moment we first come into the world, we have a search for security. The feeling of belonging that comes from being someone or part of a whole is a common theme for us all.

Perhaps one needs to know or try to understand which piece in life can fill the void. If we know that this is a journey of self-discovery, I think we can feel more harmonious and whole within life.

'THE DISCOVERY PROCESS CAME ALONG WITH PAINTING'

You argue that internal reckonings and personal ambitions prevail today, and that every individual can be liberated if they are cleansed of their limiting thought structures. Have you fully liberated yourself?

For a person to feel free and to have found themselves, they perhaps need to go through many different paths, roles, and situations: so that they can remember their own essence, their own nature.

Ever since I can remember, I was a child who questioned a lot and tried to understand life. I felt lonely within my small world, unaware that I was looking for ways to be noticed and to express myself.

It was as if there was always a part of me waiting to be discovered, and this internal discovery process came along with painting. I began to shed all the roles I had imposed on myself, accepted myself as I was, and started to reflect my feelings onto the canvas as they came from within. Thus, I discovered the place where I was most myself, and this set me free.

In the field of art, you draw your inspiration from Spinoza, one of the important names of 17th-century philosophy. Is there a special reason for this?

Spinoza says: 'Peace is not the absence of war. It is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, and justice.' These words, which inspire me, actually proved that the tendencies and behaviors I adopted as principles in my life were in the right direction.

Without realizing it, we change our shells over time due to the influence of the environment we are in. While striving for everything to be good and more perfect, we cannot realize what kind of a war we are in.

Afterward, we turn into someone who is not satisfied with themselves, and we go on a path of purification to fix our corrupted nature. Yet, this is exactly what we call life, always a state of struggle. There will be times when we lose or win, but I think the most important thing is not to give up the virtues we possess.

'EXAGGERATION ALWAYS ATTRACTS ATTENTION'

'There is no more effective method for managing the crowd than superstition,' says Spinoza. We can say that works of art also manage the masses. Isn't that so?

Honestly, this is a subject I also complain about. We cannot express ourselves freely in art, just as we cannot in real life. Many factors such as the geography we live in, our culture, and our upbringing hinder our feelings.

We interpret someone who lives outside the norm, who sees and interprets the world differently, as marginal, eccentric, or extraordinary. I wish it were more exaggerated, because exaggeration always attracts attention, and then, as Spinoza said, it becomes more effective.

Returning to your exhibition again... Why should art lovers visit this exhibition you titled 'Piece of Mind'?

They can visit to face our shadow sides and our fears. To encounter the roles imposed on us within certain societal norms and the fears that sprout within these roles. To face and break free from the superstitions we have invented based on our own fears.