In this blog CasildArt speaks to Belgin Bozsahin, artist and contributor to our first ever Black&Global Majority Art Fair. Here we speak to her about her practice, her inspirations and experience as a female global majority artist and finally her thoughts on the Fair and visions for the future.
1. Could you start telling us a little about your practice?
I come from a fine art background painting in oils, but my desire to capture three-dimensional forms and explore more tactile surfaces led me to experiment with different materials over time. I moved from paint to paper, yarn, and fabric, eventually transitioning to harder materials like marble and mosaic. This progression naturally guided my work toward textured and dimensional forms.
Belgin Bozsahin, Tower II, ceramic
Themes of existence, the self, and the inner journey resonate deeply with me and inspire my work in its many forms. I find it stimulating to work in a modular way, creating individual elements—such as hand-formed scales—and then intuitively bringing them together into unified designs. This process is rooted in my upbringing, particularly the values instilled by my grandmother, who lived through a war and taught me to see potential in everything—even the discarded or broken.
This ethos has shaped much of my work. For example, my collections Beneath the Surface and Abstract began when I used a small box of leftover hand-formed scales to create a textured piece by embedding them into fresh clay. This experiment marked the start of my exploration into highly textural wall pieces, which continue to evolve.
I work across forms, often expressing deeply personal ideas through body casts. When I have something intimate to convey, I instinctively turn to casting my own body in porcelain as a canvas for my emotions and ideas. While my feelings are deeply personal, they also feel universal, and I hope my work serves as a reminder of something we all inherently know.
Recently, my practice has shifted toward creating self-standing sculptural vessels. The technique for this series has been evolving for some time, and I am excited to see where it will take me. My work reflects my journey—both personal and creative—while exploring the balance between internal emotions and the external world.
2. What inspired you to become an artist?
I can’t recall exactly when the desire to create first took root, but I know it goes back to my earliest memories of childhood. What I do remember vividly is being introduced to oil paints at around nine years old. I was captivated by everything about them—the brushes, the colours, and the strong smell of the paints. That summer, I spent my holidays trying to replicate the beautiful paintings of old masters from the pages of a calendar, not even knowing who the artists were at the time.
Belgin Bozsahin, Dome, ceramic | photo credit: @n_e_g_o_m_i
I don’t recall ever having a deliberate conversation with myself about becoming an artist; it just felt natural. For me, making work is a need—a response I feel compelled to act on. That early connection with creating has stayed with me ever since. Later on, my materials have changed but the desire to create hasn’t, I am grateful for this feeling.
3. What impact do you want your arts to have on its audience?
The impact I aim to create depends on the nature of the work. With figurative pieces like the body casts, I want to express something deeply personal yet universal about our shared humanity. My goal is to evoke a feeling that reminds viewers of our core essence—the place where we all meet as human beings, rooted in our similarities rather than our differences.
I want my work to have a strong visual presence, creating a sense of awe and beauty that resonates with the audience through its aesthetic qualities as well.
4. What drew you to CasildArt and how do you see yourself aliging with its goals?
I continually apply to open calls, and I was fortunate that my application for the Empower Her exhibition, marking both International Women’s Day and the launch of the gallery’s new venue in Connaught Street, was accepted last year. I connected with the gallery’s story and its mission to support and uplift diverse voices, particularly in the context of empowering women and underrepresented communities.
Image credit: @belginbozsahin_art
CasildArt’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive community resonates deeply with my own values. I believe in the importance of creating spaces that reflect connection and cultural expression, and I see my work aligning with this mission. The gallery’s approach to empowering artists and providing opportunities for growth is something I’m grateful to be a part of. It’s rare to find a space in the art world that fosters such a sense of belonging, and I feel connected to the gallery’s ethos of nurturing talent and celebrating diversity.
5. What to you is the most crucial impact of the fair and do you think CasildArt has been successful in achieving this?
To me, the most crucial impact of the fair is its ability to foster a more inclusive creative culture by providing a dedicated platform for underrepresented artists to showcase their work, connect with a broader audience, and engage in critical conversations that celebrate diversity. By amplifying the voices of Black artists and creating opportunities for their work to be seen and appreciated, the fair not only raises awareness but also challenges the lack of representation in mainstream art spaces.
CasildART has been remarkably successful in achieving this mission. The gallery’s focus on connection—whether it’s between artists and collectors, diverse cultural narratives, or heritage and contemporary expression—creates a powerful sense of community. The fair exemplifies these values by bringing together a rich diversity of talent and ideas, offering all participants, myself included, an opportunity to experience the transformative power of art.
Image credit: @belginbozsahin_art
As an artist from a different background, I deeply appreciate how CasildART’s ethos extends beyond boundaries, welcoming contributions from a variety of voices while staying rooted in its commitment to promoting Black art. It’s inspiring to see the gallery’s work bridging gaps and fostering belonging, making it an inclusive platform for creativity and dialogue.
6. If you could Dream of a world, what would it look like
I love John Lennon’s Imagine—it captures so much in its simple message. But I know true peace and unity can only come when we, as individuals, truly understand who we are inside. It’s not something that can be imposed by governments, schools, or doctrines.
The change, understanding, gratitude, and peace I yearn for start with me. I need to experience what it truly means to be human before I can naturally respect, accept, and share space with others. When I’m kind to myself and truly value life, I find joy, serenity, clarity, and harmony—all of which reflect the beautiful feeling of being at peace.
It’s not the world that needs peace; it’s us. When we are at peace, the world will be at peace too.