about.
Esra Kizir Gokcen (Istanbul, 1971) is a visual artist currently living and working in England.
She graduated from Marmara University, Faculty of Applied Arts, Department of Graphic Design in 1993.
Following her graduation, she worked professionally in the advertising industry as a graphic
designer and illustrator. In 2000, she received her teaching certificate and went on to
conduct creative workshops with participants of various age groups.
Since 2004, Gokcen has focused on fine art practice, working extensively with printmaking and exploring
the expressive possibilities of paint on two-dimensional surfaces. Her work is characterised by the use of multiple layers that create visual depth and a vibrant narrative structure. Beginning with the fluidity of water-based media, she builds compositions through subtle detailing informed by Eastern miniature painting and calligraphic traditions. Her recent work engages with themes of migration, contemplation, and spirituality, reflecting both personal experience and broader cultural narratives.
Driven by her passion for creative exchange and collaboration within the UK’s diverse art
community, Esra is a prospective MA student at the RCA for the 2026-27 cohort.
artist statement.
My art is an expression of my interest in self-inquiry and nature. I have striven over the decades to synthesise a variety of techniques that have fascinated me. This joyful fusion of complimentary elements helps me mirror the diversity I carry from my cultural background.
There is a controlled randomness in water-based media, the spontaneity of which directly aligns with my observation of life’s fluidity.
The importance of detail can be observed among the multiple layers in my artwork. I have found that my print making discipline has had a lasting effect on my appreciation of detail. Nature and all its elements including microscopic beings as well as the infinite cycles of our
universe, play equally essential parts in my art. I prefer abstract expression focusing on the feeling of a particular moment through symbols and almost-descriptive shapes.
Whilst not allying my style with any specific art movement, I do strive to create a harmonious new order from loose, playful spontaneity. I invite my viewers to look closer and enjoy the emerging delicate detail.
reviews.
"Take a close look, and in getting to know her better, you’ll see how, through its noble dedication, her intuitively-detailed, intimate work can take you to different places, of other possibilities."
– David White, Art Mag UK
"Creating art that can be applied to global issues and our personal lives, Esra Kizir Gokcen's artworks are a beacon of hope in a world that can often seem dark and foreboding"
– Tabish Khan, London Art Critic
Visual arts editor of Londonist.com Reviewer of Culture Whisper Trustee of Artcan.org
solo exhibitions.
2025 “Sail To Hope” 54 The Gallery, Mayfair, London
2021 “Art From Within” Charing Cross Library, Westminster, London
2015 "Metamorph-trick" State Fine Arts Gallery, Ayaz Museum, Ankara, Turkey
2014 “Metamorph-trick” Arps&Co Art Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011 “Bubbles”, Utopia Platform Art Gallery, İstanbul, Turkey
2007 “Floral Fairytales” Ürün Art Gallery, İstanbul, Turkey
2004 “Petit Bonhommies” Beykoz Service Center, Istanbu, Turkey
selected awards. juried exhibitions. publishings.
2024 Moment Of Departure, The Lighthouse Trio, Ubuntu Music, Album Cover, Feature video of artwork digitally displayed during
16 concerts In UK, Arts Council England supported
2023 211th Annual Exhibition of The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, Mall Galleries, London, juried exhibition
2022 IMPACT12 Print Conference, UWE Bristol, Co-Traces Exhibition Curated and exhibited
2022 EdFringe Festival, The Artists Pool initiative exhibition, Dundas Street Gallery
2021 Henley Festival, The Artists Pool initiative exhibition
2021 “Art From Within” The Book of 365 Daily Drawings by Esra Kizir Gokcen, Pulsio Print Publishing
2014 Modern Women Bookplate Designers Book, Published 2014 in Portugal, Pages135-144
2014 3rd Guangzhou International Exlibris and Mini-prints Biennial, Guangzhou, China, juried exhibition
2012 34th FISAE International Exlibris Competition, Naantali, Finland, juried exhibition
2012 / Turkish Illustration Catalogue / Alternatif Publishings, Istanbul, Turkey / Pages 492 - 495
2011 San Min Cup International Exlibris Competition Shanghai, China, The Excellent Prize