Filiz Emma Soyak’s creative energy thrives on the challenge of navigating through new environments and adapting to diverse cultures. Born in Belgium to a Swedish mother and Turkish father, and raised in Japan and the United States, her travels and global experiences have inspired her to look deeper. Through her work Filiz pursues perspectives and hidden meanings that construct her motivation as an artist and human being.

In July 2008, Filiz moved from Boston in the U.S. to Amman, Jordan. Since then she has been absorbing and digesting the daily observations of her new home. Interpreting the collection of new stimuli in the form of sights, sounds, and daily interactions, her paintings translate her impressions of Jordan; from the city and busy energy of Amman, to the ancient rocks of Petra, to the desert sands of Wadi Rum.

Filiz’s current work explores territory beyond the retinal experience into memories and subconscious impressions. Her paintings are an exploration of the seen and the unseen; imagined and tangible landscapes. Compelled to paint what she sees and feels her work is a combination of the world around her and life experiences. Filiz’s work reveals to the viewer the concept of a life and place beyond words and representational images.

Attracted to the energy of ancient places and worn surfaces, Filiz’s work tells a story behind every mark and scratch. She uses mixed media to create depth through layers of acrylics, oil pastels, sands, photography, and collage of handmade and found papers. An intuitive painter, she tries to finish each painting in one sitting to grasp the often fleeting moments and moods.

Filiz urges viewers to open their minds and senses to new interpretation. She believes that in the process of juxtaposing what we know to what we have just discovered, we gain insight to new perspectives and modalities of thought.

Filiz’s work has been exhibited and collected internationally. She is delighted and honored to share her work expressing her impressions of Jordan with its citizens and visitors.

Alrai Newspaper   |   No.13928   |   Wednesday November 27, 2008   |   Art and Cultural   |   page.37

Soyak's Visual Hunger

By Rasmi Jarah

   There are various environments to which the paintings of the Belgium artist Filiz Emma Soyak belong to. The paintings, which are displayed at Zara Gallery, Grand Hyatt Amman Hotel, feature multiple characteristics and with fading details.

   This is due to her rearing up, and residence in more than one country. One can attribute the spaces of the paintings to Belgium – her own country, Sweden- her mother's, Turkey – her father's, or USA, Japan, or Jordan, where she lived for different periods.

   In an abstract methodology and formula, combined with implications based upon the act of color, the artist casts the idea of place by splashing the brush, or the mere citing of the colors, or just by drawing. All these processes achieved by the color itself. Meanwhile, the artist remains an observer in this colorization process.

   You find in this art of coloring that the element of formation is missing, with no existence of any building blocks: only colorful surfaces lacking geography or characters, which make colors wander and dive, or search and enjoy when looking at the folds or perspectives of the painting.

   This arrangement of colors on the surface makes the eye more visually hungry, due to scarceness of the color itself, which is lacking any brightness or value, as the grades are selected from the sideways, and not from the core.

   The large paintings bear names like Rum, Petra Cave, Green Jordan, Memories, and many other names.  They are mere keys to stimulate the eye, to remind the receiver that this featureless place is actually featureless.

   In addition to the large paintings, the artist displays small ones, rich with colors that reveal profound knowledge. She might have emphasized her skill in a different setting, more visually enjoyable for big abstract wall paintings.

   The source of creativity comes from navigating in cultural landscapes in various environments. Cultures, says Soyak, "in which she lived, led her to develop a universal view, to become inquisitive and deep. She notices this hidden energy and perspective”.

   In July 2008, Soyak moved from Boston, USA, to live and work in Amman, Jordan, where she teaches Art in New York University. Since then, she observes, and absorbs the daily scenes in her new environment, encompasses all that generates her expressions and feelings: scenes, voices, movements. Then she translates them to art works against the backdrop of the voices of Amman, the eternity of Petra, and the peaceful sands of Wadi Rum.