Artist Statement

   I grew up in Istanbul, commuting daily by ferry between the Asian and European sides of the city. That quiet, repetitive crossing became a way of seeing: watching light shift, people move, and stillness exist within constant motion. It was my first experience of paying close attention to everyday scenes, Istanbul taught me to notice the beauty within chaos.

   Just like the continents I crossed every day, I grew up between cultures: Turkish at home, French at school. That duality shaped the way I see, always translating, always slightly removed. Even in my own city, I was both inside and outside. Displacement, in my work, isn’t about geography alone but about existing between identities and perspectives. It’s a recurring theme I carry within me, from Istanbul to Japan, to the Netherlands, and to anywhere I photograph.

   In Turkish culture, emotion is often expressed through subtle gestures, a glance ,a hand on your shoulder, a shared glass of tea. These small cues continue to shape how I approach photography: through atmosphere, body language, and quiet presence.

   For years, I worked as a patent attorney with a background in chemistry. Art was never part of the plan. Yet something grew quietly: a need to express what I had long observed. Photography became my way forward and inward.

   My work explores themes of displacement, emotional distance, and cultural translation. I’m drawn to solitary figures in urban settings, often framed through reflections, windows, or soft barriers. These compositions evoke a sense of quiet separation, being present but removed. I follow a contrarian approach: avoiding spectacle in favor of muted tones, restrained compositions, and still subjects. Color plays a central role, more of a compositional and emotional device. My tones are muted, my framing deliberate. I want my photographs to offer a kind of pause, to invite slowness in a fast world. 

   I don’t aim to make definitive statements. Photography, for me, is a form of noticing, an intuitive process of observing what might otherwise go unseen. If a viewer connects with an image and thinks, “I’ve felt this too,” then the work has found its purpose.

House of Gingko is a photography house founded by the photographer Mine MANAP TUREL in September 2023.

Published

2023 December- Docu Magazine Vol 4, Issue 11- One of my photos  

2023 November- Docu E-Magazine - an interview

2021 March- Fujilove Magazine Issue 60- A whole page about a photograph of mine  

2020 December- the book called "Devletin Haysiyeti", the Turkish translation of the Japanese book Kokka no Hinkaku  by Fujiwara Masahiko - 5 Photos 

2020 February - Fuji X Passion Virtual Photography MagazineIssue 44- An article that I wrote about Fuji-XH1 and street photography

2019 January - Turkish Journal Hurriyet -An interview with me about my travels and my passion of photography https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/seyahat/galeri-yeni-ulkeler-degil-yeni-yuzler-kesfediyor-41072532

Exhibitions

Upcoming Exhibition in 2025 September - Den Haag, Netherlands- Behind the Veil at Lens & Canvas Art Fair

2024 August- Trieste, ITALY - "Two faces"photo exhibited at Trieste Airport during the Trieste Photo days - Printed

2022 December- "Behind the Veil" collection exhibited in Monolith Gallery- Robles Hall 

2020 June- Barcelona, SPAIN -"Storytelling" Exhibition at Valid World Hall Gallery - Printed

2020 June - Barcelona, SPAIN -"Street Photography" Exhibition at Valid World Hall Gallery - Digital

2020 February- Lisbon, PORTUGAL -"Photographer of the year 2019" Exhibition at Espaço Espelho D'agua - Digital

2019 November - Barcelona, SPAIN -"People in the city" Exhibition at Valid World Hall Gallery - Digital

2019 September - Ljubljana, SLOVENIA-"Solo" Exhibition at Ravnikar Gallery -Digital

2019 February - The Hage, NETHERLANDS-"My Favorite Shots" Exhibition at  Xpozer's New Gallery - Digital

2018 June - Istanbul, TURKEY -Exhibition in line with Geleceğe Gülümse Social Responsibility Project at Ziraat Bankası Sanat Galerisi Project- Printed

2017 October - Essen, GERMANY-"Telling a story" Exhibition- at C.A.R Innovative Art Fair- Digital

2017 June  Berlin, GERMANY - “Emotional Photography” Exhibition at Blue Art Gallery supporting "Pass the crayon" project for supporting refugee children - Digital

2017 January - Berlin, GERMANY -“People in the

city” Exhibition at Blue Art Gallery- Digital

2016 April - Sant Just Desvern, SPAIN-Finalist at the Open Color category in the IX International Photography Contest 

2016 April - Istanbul, TURKEY - "Galata Tower" Exhibition at CKM Sergi Salonu- Printed

2016 March- Thessaloniki, GREECE -"Made by Artist" Exhibition at Thessaloniki Yeni Mosque Museum- Printed

2015 February - Thessaloniki, GREECE - "Beauties of Aegea" Exhibition at Thessaloniki - Printed