Yaşamaya Dair

My first exhibition, Yaşamaya Dair, which means 'On Living' in Turkish, will always be very special for me: not because it's my first exhibition, not because it's a father-son exhibition, but because of what it means as a project. Life and living are at the core of this project, and we tried to reach and impact more lives through this exhibition, especially those that are in need.

The exhibition's title, On Living, is borrowed from a poem with the same name by Nazim Hikmet Ran — as he says, 'Living is no laughing matter: you must take it seriously.'

Empathy comes from knowing someone, and that's how I started seeing life through the lens of my friend with Down Syndrome. Our friendship helped me be more mindful of this disability and intrigued me in understanding their obstacles. When I got involved with Down Syndrome Association in Istanbul, I saw that there are three fundamental problems: lack of governing structure and social support; legal regulations; and financing.

Joining our passions and different views on living, me and my father, Tufan Teksoy, opened this joint exhibition to raise funds and awareness, and help the daily lives and education expenses of kids with Down Syndrome.