The Art of Naz
About Naz
Naz the artist
Naz is an upcoming Dutch artist in contemporary art. She was born and raised in the Netherlands but she has Turkish roots. Her interest in drawing and painting started when she was a young girl. In spite of her mother who had an eye for the artistic talent of Naz, she did not to go to the Art Academy like her sisters did. Instead, Naz went to the Erasmus University in Rotterdam and got there her degree in Cultural Science. However, the artist in her did not go under.
Hotel Estela in Sitges
After finishing her study she went to Spain. She worked in Sitges, a village close to Barcelona as a mural painter. During her stay in Sitges she had every day her breakfast in Art Hotel Estela. One day during her breakfast she met Josep Puigmarti, who is the resident artist of Hotel Estela. 'I was already impressed by the works of Josep but after talking to him I became fan of his personality which reflexes his art; Totally freedom! His charismatic looks, his wisdom and his experiences with people like Salvador Dali were a sum for complete admiration. After I told Josep I was also artistically active he invited me to his studio, which is located in hotel Estela. When I arrived in the workspace, Josep took a canvas, started to paint and said: finish it! Of course I felt some pressure. An artist like Josep could never like what I had to offer but the opposite was true. When I showed him the result, he took a new white canvas and said (almost commanding); here make one more! After this second painting I became his protege'.
Friend and inspirator
A close friendship and work relation were born. Naz and Puigmarti spent days working in his studio. Outside the workspace they spent a lot of time near the pool enjoying the sun, which they both adore. 'When I became friends with Josep I experienced that age is just a number and that a soul can never be defined in age. I also learned that friendship with a person much older is the purest form of friendship. Young people are often (conscious or unconscious) competitive. They wish you the best as long it is not near their own area or beyond or close to their success. As a person who is raised in a big family, I was used to be happy for the one who was doing good or better. from friends I often experienced the opposite. Josep is the first person I met in my life who wishes me everything of the best'. When Naz returned to her hometown Rotterdam she started to paint professionally and brought the lessons of Josep into practice. 'I noticed people were interested in buying my work and it was also the first time in my adult life I felt connected to something I did. Therefore I decided to do what life is about: following your passion'. From time to time Naz goes back to her maestro, friend and mentor Puigmarti.'Josep changed my way of thinking and brought me in contact with my heart, where my passion was hidden for so long'.
The heart feels, the eye sees
Like Puigmarti Naz has also a fascination for the eye. The eyes in her paintings give life to regular forms. Watching a painting of Naz is similar to watching the clouds and discover an object, person or animal in it. This is the beauty of the art of Naz. The paintings are interpretable and every time something else can be seen in it. The paintings of Naz can be hung upside down, vertical or horizontal. Like the eye, there are also hearts as a vast object in the paintings of Naz. Why these two for Naz? 'The heart feels and the eye sees. The combination of these two elements are the motor in life. We see something what we want and get feelings to set goals and achieve dreams in life'. The overall cheerful paintings are a representation of the life philosophy of Naz: In every situation good or bad there are always silver linings which we have to treasure. Life is always good in some way or some time.
"Have a good life"
Love,
Naz
