Yusuf, all the works in your joint exhibition with Furkan "Nuka" Birgün called "Koklayarak Duyuyorum (I Hear By Smelling)" in C.A.M. Gallery. These are the stories that impress the audience most. What effects you when you are forming the stories?

I was born and raised in Kocamustafapaşa, where neighbourhood is still lived intensively. I believe that this multi layered culture is adding a dimension to that sincere story, which I wish to grab both in my personality and my works. It is something like this: do you sit in the front or the back seat when you take a cab? I always sit in the front. I chat. I wish to go down into the depth of his life. A cab driver is the chief of the city. Cab drivers come across at least 20-25 stories of people every day; the night drivers witness the other side of the city. They are connoisseur of human nature. He sees a kid, whose mother has died, in the morning and then he meets a girl going to a party. They desensitize in between these emotional transitions. They become senseless. As an artist, I get nourished from people and their lived or completely fictional stories.

How did you decide to become an artist?

I was in the science section of Istanbul Davut Paşa High school. There was a morgue right opposite the high school. - This is a good metaphor; I think we should use it- There, I have seen a corpse for the first time due to a friend of mine and I drew the muscles. I didn't have the idea to become a painter during high school. I was observing my environment and what is going on around me. My best friend was a Jew. I think this is a part of multi culturalism. It was a period, when I observed all believes, religions, traditions and customs. I painted the streets with stencils. By the end of a period, which I was quite intimate with Marvell character, I got into interior architecture department. Soon I realized that I can't draw any more map sections  and got into Marmara University Faculty of  Fine Arts' Painting Department. I assisted approximately four artists. I finished the school in six years. 

How was your academic life?

You share an atelier with 16 other people. You take your teacher as a role model. Your drawings and your understanding tell which atelier's student you are. One needs to form his/her style after graduation. Everybody is trying to get  "something". There is a thin line in between stealing and being inspired.  When you get out of that tiny space that you share with 20 other people, you meet 300-400 people.

How did you choose the gallery that you are going to work with after graduation? How do an artist and a gallery decide to work together?

When you reach a certain state or when you feel ready, you get in touch with the galleries and start to work if you agree to do so. At first, I shared a series I have done C.A.M. through e-mail.  Then they called me to meet. It was then we spoke about the series and what I would do afterwards. After all the processes, we signed a contract. That is how I got involved with C.A.M Gallery.

The works, you produce, should and new and strong from a technical perspective. In other words, the artists, who represent 10 years ahead are chosen more easily.

My turning point was in Christie's Dubai Contemporary Art Auction. I started to research the market in Turkey and abroad together with the auction. 

What is your point on the gallery and artist relationship?

The non-existence of galleries can be staggering for the artists. Somebody needs to define the price of work on behalf of the artist. I don't have the world like this as an artist. I can't invoice. Galleries protect the prestige and career of the artist and also gives a direction.

What do you think about the past and present point of view on art? Where do you see Turkey?

The artists used to develop "ideas" when they were just sitting down, during the 80s. Now the price of the work comes before the idea. Serious works have been done during the 1900s. The people, who were in charge of auctions in 195*s were the academics of Sanayi-i Nefise - now known as Mimar Sinan University. There has been a big boom on art sales since 2010. Art market had a 43 billion Euro turnover in a global sense. Turkey has 300 million Euro of this. We are the 16th in the world when we look into Turkish economy. 

How does the price of an artist's work is determined?

The price of artists' work change yearly and mostly collector define this price. For instance, the price of Ömer Uluç's works dropped down compared to its price when he was alive. The reason for this is that the collectors, who didn't want to keep his works, sold them for cheap prices. As Murat Germen says, "a collector should have only five works". He is pointing out to the financial side of the issue. A little number of artists produce so many. The prices of young artists in the galleries are also high-priced. As the artists' works are being sold, the gallery gets its commission. Gallery is something that makes the artist meet the outside world. The artist is known as much as that artist makes an exhibition. 

How do the works gain value?

Depends on the market, time, name, the collections it gets into... If Cem Yılmaz buys a piece, then the price is doubled. When someone asks you the collection your are in, then the perspective of that person changes. The rate of increasing the price changes according to the number of collection. If the price of last year is not the same as the price of this year, then this is defined by the market. 

What do you think about the art fairs?

Although Tüyap İstanbul Art Fair has been exposed to censorship incidents in the last two years, it seriously revitalized the art market. 130 artist attendances, 503 thousand visitors... Unbelievable. It is the same with Art International. The initiatives were in the background in Contemporary Istanbul, but it hosted visitors from all parts of society. This is pleasing.

Is there any difference in between the art fairs abroad and the ones in Turkey?

There is not much difference left in between homeland and foreign. Turkey is coming to nice spots. Almost 20 foreign galleries attended Contemporary.

Fro instance, it is easier to go to foreign fairs and auctions from Turkey. Skopp Fair is under the roof of Art Besell in Sweden. Ther are young artists, and the interest is high. Despite all that, it still doesn't have any self-confidence. We grow up with the idea that "if you don't condescend for less, you will not find more". This needs to change. 

What do you think about the censorship?

When Azade Ramazeni came to visit the atelier, she mentioned about the art market in Iran. Some prohibitions came during the regime. You need to send the work you produced to the government first and got your approval. Artists and the buyers developed some methods in order to surpass this prohibition. Underhand presentations and sales were being done. Although the prohibitions are not that strong in Turkey, there are artists, who shape according to the admiration of the market. But, different point of views, different perspectives bring the multivocality together with it. There are artists with turban. There are one, who do calligraphy or skull. There are pictures of calligraphic writings on two dancing models with purdah. This is the modernization of this incident. They are against Arabic letters to get involved in pictures. They need to get involved in. We shouldn't be stuck to the taste of a certain group. 

Do the Turkish economy and art market develop at the same time?

It doesn't really matter if the economy crashes, it doesn't effect the art market. Purchasing and selling art works after the 90s and 2000s increases incredibly. The artefacts had bought before the 2000s changed hands completely. The initiatives started to increase, and the galleries started to become more conscious. This period, which is the rise of the young ones and the increase in American artists' prices, have effected Turkish artists positively.

What do you think about  the understanding of art and the material used in works?

Paper started to get lost in works. The main materials in painting are marble, paper, paint, canvas. If there are 40 artists today, 2 of them make the gravure. It is not because I prate on conceptual art, but there exist serious differences in material. When I am creating, I put various materials in oil paint. I put catalysts, stabilizers, oils and sprays that come from abroad. This the capitalism providing this system. 

How does the technology that grows every day, touch art?

Foreign artists were doing more delicious and questioning works during the 80s.
There were sculptures, stencils, modelling of sculpture There are ones, who cut marble or work with wood or shape plastic. The market takes this as art. Even if it is industrial. So in that case, does the traditional art loose value? Paint never looses its value.

Renoir doesn't do contemporary art in his time; he is producing things related to the past. We are now Indie generation, and that is the reason of our relationship with paper is about to break off. We are connected to technology in photography, sculpture. Art is going in the same direction with technology.

How do you get effected?

I do anachronism. I adapt the existing thing to my era. There is an orange on the table of Leonardo's Last Supper painting. There is no orange in Europe at that period. He is painting something that doesn't exist. This also exists in the paintings I do.

Can we say that technology is developing art?

There are movements that the age has brought. For instance, 3D photo, optic art. The most important reason, we have been behind the times, was the technology has not been followed, and classical thought hasn't been given up. Now this has started to change. There are extraordinary kids in my generation and the one after me. There are one, who could do what I couldn't have done when I was in university. At least I didn't know anything about fine arts high school.

"The most important fact that my generation cares about is "cost". There are some people, who come to exhibition openings, only  to see sold paper. "