I was born and raised in Wiesbaden as the first daughter of Efdal and Öznur Özkan. Two years later, I became a big sister to Gizem Özkan. We grew up in a large family (which, unfortunately, has drifted apart a bit now) and were allowed to be wild from an early age. And in that wildness, I loved to draw and do crafts, paint the walls of my room, and build things in the elementary school workshop. At this point, I’d like to thank my mom, who watched me closely and soon enrolled me in a painting class, from which I took away some unforgettable experiences. Among them was the smell of Kirsten’s studio, where we were allowed to run wild once a week. Toward the end of elementary school, I was given a *Warrior Cats* book, which led to my first experience with an online forum. I loved writing online role-playing stories and soon found the “Drawing Corner” thread. I started drawing RPG characters and taking commissions from other kids. I mailed out a hand-drawn picture of a cat, and a letter containing 1€ arrived in the mail. Man, that was so cool. It wasn’t long before I was given my first graphics tablet (Bamboo Pen) as a gift, and that opened the doors to digital art. I spent hours on YouTube, binge-watching tutorials and uploading lots of art to deviantArt. All the while, I was attending high school.

A shout-out to Ms. Hirsing, my art teacher. The things I learned there strengthened my foundation! After graduating from high school, I applied to the Animation & Game program in Darmstadt, but I was too clueless and failed the computer science portion. I really wanted to go into character design, so my next thought was, “Costume design!” And lo and behold, I was accepted into the costume design program at the Berlin University of the Arts. That pulled me out of my online world, and I learned a lot about self-presentation and positioning myself in the performing arts sector. I’m especially grateful to my fellow students Josefin Kwon, Florian Kiehl, and Clarissa Fuhr, who helped me stay true to the core of my passion. During my first year at the UdK, I met Andjani Autumn Gatzweiler and Ivarr Jacobsen in the Studium Generale. If that wasn’t already written in the stars when my father’s seed took root in my mother, then I don’t know what was. Ever since, we’ve been working together on projects that give my soul new strength time and time again. I’m free to draw inspiration from the unknown, and the two of them place their trust in me — even when I myself can’t quite predict what the outcome will be. This year, we tied the knot and founded Studio MANEN — a space where we tinker and develop, and where curiosity is always welcome. Here, I try to let all my little rivulets — which turn into rivers — flow into one great ocean. Building, experimenting, dressing, painting, drawing, designing, forging, making friends. And above all, dreaming.

If you like this idea, I invite you to take a look at our current project:

Homunculus Grave – Short Film

Thank you so much for reading. Feel free to leave me a message in the guestbook.
With love,
Dilara