Zehra Dogan

Zehra Doğan was born in Diyarbakır, Turkey, in 1989. She graduated from the Dicle Academy of Fine Arts in Turkey and co-founded JINHA, the first all-female news agency, in 2010.

Her artistic work is characterized by political, social, and journalistic engagement. Her story gained international attention following her arrest and conviction in 2017 for publishing a painting on social media that depicted the destruction of Nusaybin, in southern Turkey, amidst clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants.

Doğan's work as an artist and journalist investigates and reveals abuses committed by Turkish forces against Kurdish communities. Although she is a member of the Kurdish community, she holds Turkish citizenship. Following her imprisonment, her cause was supported by artists such as Ai Weiwei and Banksy. Released in 2019, Zehra Doğan now lives and works across Europe. Her art is a form of protest and resilience, characterized by the use of recycled materials and improvised means. It forms a keen synthesis between personal dimensions and contemporary issues, telling the stories of suffering and courage of the women she has encountered along her journey. Two of her works are in the collection, including Kismet (Fate) from 2020, which is on display.