Summer of 2021 marks the fifth year I began documenting my father in different locations in the world. Our aim was to do a series for each year, to ensure we continue seeing the world and spend quality time together since we live in different countries. However due current circumstances with the global pandemic we haven’t been able to travel together for 2 years, but in that time his images were exhibited and published in several galleries, and magazines; and it unequivocally helped push my career.
At the beginning of this year my dad told me that in all the interviews and features I always refer to him as “Dad”, and not by his name Hüseyin, dad was right :) It inspired this current series where I wanted Hüseyin to be the focus, I wanted to explore his history and identity beyond being my father; so we started with the place he spent his childhood and youth. Together we drove over 2000 km on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey and I followed his lead, along for the ride. He became my collaborator, strongly suggesting his ideas, controlling his poses and composition of how the photographs should look. It was always his dream to be an entertainer, and this is my way of giving back to him; and he was my perfect muse.
At the beginning of this year my dad told me that in all the interviews and features I always refer to him as “Dad”, and not by his name Hüseyin, dad was right :) It inspired this current series where I wanted Hüseyin to be the focus, I wanted to explore his history and identity beyond being my father; so we started with the place he spent his childhood and youth. Together we drove over 2000 km on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey and I followed his lead, along for the ride. He became my collaborator, strongly suggesting his ideas, controlling his poses and composition of how the photographs should look. It was always his dream to be an entertainer, and this is my way of giving back to him; and he was my perfect muse.