Katie Holmes & Mr. Sandman (2023) Drawing by Göknil Gümüş Sungurtekin

Göknil Gümüş Sungurtekin
Pioneer of Conceptual Essence Narrative Expressionism (CENE) • Contemporary Turkish Master Artist
Grand Artist Award Winner • First Turkish Female Naval Painter • MA in Painting – Marmara University

Göknil Gümüş Sungurtekin (b. 1977, Turkey) is an internationally acclaimed contemporary artist and the pioneer of Conceptual Essence Narrative Expressionism (CENE) — a unique artistic language that merges intuition, emotion, memory, and metaphysical insight into expressive visual narratives. Her work is guided not by surface aesthetics, but by depth — both emotional and philosophical.

Sungurtekin's artistic practice blends abstraction and figuration through powerful, intuitive brushwork, layered compositions, and symbolic forms. Her paintings are shaped by a rich conceptual background rooted in German Expressionism, Symbolism, and psychological art. Drawing inspiration from lived experience, she explores themes such as feminine energy, subconscious memory, emotional transformation, and collective consciousness.

For her, the canvas is not merely a surface but a metaphysical space where subconscious and spiritual energies flow. Each brushstroke represents an intuitive realization, a vibration of the soul, and an act of inner surrender. Color functions not only as an aesthetic element but as a frequency of energy — translating emotional truth and vitality into form and movement.

Sungurtekin often creates compositions inspired by childhood memories, intimate connections to ordinary objects, personal rituals, and moments of heightened awareness. Her visual storytelling captures the intersection of the personal and the universal — evoking empathy, belonging, identity, and the ruptures within cultural memory. Her work resonates with mystical and philosophical depth, integrating cosmic, Sufi, and metaphysical dimensions.

In 2004, she was appointed as the First Turkish Female Naval Painter by the Turkish Naval Forces and served aboard the TCG Salih Reis Frigate as an Honorary Major. This transformative experience inspired her powerful Wardroom and Rope series. In 2023, she was honored as a World Artist at the Busan International Environmental Art Festival (BIEAF), South Korea — a recognition of her powerful visual language at the intersection of identity, emotion, and narrative.

Her painting process often flows between conscious design and intuitive spontaneity. A figure seated in a chair may serve as a memory portal; layered textures may evoke the release of buried emotions or the reformation of the self. Her narratives are rarely linear or conclusive — instead, they invite viewers to feel, reflect, and participate. Each painting remains open, shaped by life, memory, and evolving interpretations.

Göknil Gümüş Sungurtekin’s art is a living dialogue — a courageous and authentic space where emotion meets concept, the visible meets the unseen, and the self encounters the canvas.

• Nationality: TÜRKIYE
• Date of birth : 1977
• Artistic domains: Works by professional artists,
• Groups: Professional Artist Contemporary Turkish Artists