Bio

Meltem Şahin is an artist and designer. She completed her master’s degree in illustration at MICA, USA, with a Fulbright scholarship. Her works have been exhibited in over 60 exhibitions across 11 countries, and her GIFs have garnered more than 310 million views. Meltem’s illustrations have received awards or have been selected by the Society of Illustration, American Illustration, Applied Arts, Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and 3×3. Her book “P is for Pussy” was reported in many foreign media, especially in Huffington Post and BuzzFeed. She curated an augmented reality exhibition, PMS. Her work with AI technology has been selected for the permanent collection of the National Gallery in London. Apple, Meta, and Giphy are some of the companies she has worked with.

Artist Statement
As an artist and designer, I try to create work that can heal, tell stories, and challenge social norms. Focusing on womxn’s and LGBTQIA+ rights, I explore themes of resilience, identity, and empowerment with the hope of reframing history from a feminist perspective and questioning rigid hierarchies. Through my work, I aim to open up new ways of seeing femininity, power, and recovery, encouraging viewers to consider alternative perspectives on these concepts.

Growing up in Turkey, the influence of both Eastern and Western ideals has shaped my artistic approach. Western ideals of beauty and perfection contrast with an Eastern appreciation for imperfection and the passing of time, and this mix has guided my creative journey. Over the past decade, my focus has centered on gender and women’s rights, drawing from Eastern history, mythology, feminism, and queer theory. Reimagining ancient stories with inclusivity and diversity has become central to my work.

Through a visual language that questions superficial ideals and hierarchies rooted in race, social status, and sexual orientation, I aim to create bridges between Eastern and Western aesthetics, hoping to spark conversations around human rights and social justice. For me, art is a space for empathy, reflection, and the celebration of human complexity.