Debate over women artists being less visible in art history

Debate over women artists being less visible in art history

Hafsa Sultan MTAL - Mersin / Turkey

Yıldız Moran Self Portrait

When Yıldız Moran, known as Turkey's first female photographer, was asked what is photography; "Photography is a mechanical thing. You set out with a machine. You have to make the camera a part of your being so that it does not create an obstacle between you and the subject. After doing this, you should reflect the aspects of your chosen subject that will have meaning for everyone and always, in an aesthetic way. Your message should be In short, it is my only goal to take a photograph that never changes, that is universal and that contains the concept of the subject being processed through photography.” she replied.
When I looked at Yıldız Moran's photographs, I was very impressed with the light and composition she used. However, I was very surprised that there was no information about him in photo books. I noticed that the patriarchal view is dominant in the field of art, as she is referred to as the wife of a poet in places where her name and works are mentioned. We should work to make the works of a successful, intelligent and creative artist like Moran more visible.

by Sude, Nehir, Bahar

Maryam Şahinyan; Turkey's first professional Armenian female photographer

"48 years, 1,139 boxes full of negatives, close to two hundred thousand images, and a World War I wooden bellows camera."

Maryam Şahinyan was born in 1911 in Şahinyan Mansion in Turkey. Maryam Şahinyan learned all the intricacies of photography from her father and from 1937 she decided to run her father's photography studio on her own. Many women from Istanbul, who lived in the conservative conditions of the period, had their photographs taken in this studio. 200 Şahinyan has left one of the most unique visual archives of Istanbul, which includes nearly 2,000 images.
Maryam Şahinyan has experienced the difficulties of being a photographer woman, but it is like a story of solidarity that women who do not want their photos to be taken by a man come to her to take pictures.

by Şilan, Berfin, Kader