About

I am Merve, a designer, self taught artist, and the heart behind The Aegean Studio.

My journey began in the piano branch of the conservatory, a place I eventually left with a broken heart, but also with an awakened ear. I learned to listen deeply, even as I longed to act instantly, and that tension has shaped how I move through life.

It is this duality I now carry into painting. I am always searching for ways to capture immediate feelings, fleeting moments, raw emotions, parallel realities. Faces draw me in, as do long tables, shared rituals, and the silent stories behind them. I hear music while I paint; it nourishes me first, and then I hope the canvas can extend that resonance to you.

The Aegean Studio is not about polished perfection. It is a space for honesty for brushstrokes that hold tenderness and depth without needing to explain themselves. Each artwork is an invitation to pause, to reflect, and to sense the world intimately.

In a culture obsessed with curated ideals, I seek what is unfiltered, primitive, and alive: the roots of feeling, the traces of heritage, the raw yet hopeful beauty of being human. And with the Aegean in my roots, my work carries its lightness, a soft brightness that flows through every color.