Arco do Castelo - Lisbon

Öykü Akkoyunlu Davran is a Turkish painter, illustrator, and designer based in Ankara, Turkey. She studied Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Anadolu University in Eskişehir, Turkey and was awarded an Erasmus scholarship to continue her studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain. Her practice moves between fine art and applied visual communication. With twelve years of professional experience in advertising agencies and technology companies as an art director, illustrator, and product designer she developed a concept-driven and narrative-oriented approach that continues to inform her studio work. Her studio practice is characterised by speed, immediacy, and an emphasis on flow. Working predominantly on paper surfaces, most recently Yupo, she favours materials such as acrylic and ink that preserve chromatic intensity and resist over-refinement. She rarely spends more than several hours on a single piece, preferring the accumulated force of multiple works. Gesture, observational drawing, and chromatic juxtaposition guide her process; colours are placed side by side rather than blended, allowing each to retain its autonomy. Through this method, she explores autonomy, friction, and co-existence as both formal and conceptual concerns. She has participated in national and international exhibitions and collaborative projects. As of 2025, she continues her studio practice full-time in Ankara, developing both independent and commissioned work.