Elif Özal Danışman
Elif was born in Ankara, Turkey to a German mother and Turkish father. Having spent her teenage years in the US and most of her adult life in Belgium, Elif developed her passion for sculptures in middle school, starting ceramics as a hobby. After graduating from Middle East Technical University, she started her career as an English Language instructor at the same University. Following her teaching career, Elif went back to her passion and started doing ceramics at "BLA, Ecole des Arts" and continued her studies as a sculptor at "Ecole de Sculpture Michal" with Michel Neuwels and "Ecole Art et Ose" with Isabelle de Bellefroid in Belgium. Elif has since developed her skills, focusing on figurative sculptures, portraying the natural beauty and purity of the human body. For the past fifteen years, she has made this passion her work and participated in various exhibitions in Belgium, Italy, UK, Switzerland, USA and Turkey. Elif has always been fascinated by the relationship between the human body and nature. She prefers to focus predominantly on the female figure, crafting artworks that depict the aesthetic beauty of women and their movements within natural settings. Her pieces embody the beauty, strength, and freedom of women. Initially, she embarked on her artistic journey with a more realistic approach, primarily working with bronze. However, more recently, she has embraced a more abstract approach. Her latest exhibition, 'Transcending Silhouettes,' encapsulates this evolution. The sculptures in this series portray faceless women, adding a hint of mystery to the feminine form. These women could be anyone: a mother, a daughter, a sister, a lover, or a friend. Their identities are left to the interpretation of the viewer. The shape of their bodies challenges societal norms; they are who they want to be, each unique with their own form. The silhouettes in this series transcend the physical realm; resembling swans, they symbolize inner beauty, self-love, and grace.
