Interview
Yasemin Doreen Dogurga
Just like a mermaid who has traded her voice for legs, Yasemin (Nauti Mermaid) moved between two worlds — land and sea, East and West, tradition and transformation. Her art emerges from this in-between space, where boundaries dissolve and new forms of being are born. Inspired by the ocean as the origin of life, she explores identity, queerness, and emotion through fluid, organic shapes — often painting on unconventional surfaces like sea maps, clay, wood, and metal. Using layers of texture, shimmer, and mixed media, she seeks to capture both movement and memory. She hopes her art resonates like a wave inside you — gentle, deep, and unforgettable.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I started creating art when I was very young — painting, taking photos, and shaping sculptures from clay and nature. I come from a family full of artists, so creativity was always part of my world. Even as a child, I looked at things from a different view — noticing details and emotions that many might overlook. I always liked doing art by myself, as a way to get away from the world and connect with my inner rhythm. That sense of wonder and reflection has guided me ever since. Over time, I explored photography, ceramics, and painting, each medium helping me express the unseen connections I feel between people, nature, and the sea. I have taken many art technique classes around the world, learning from different cultures and approaches, and I had my own studio in İzmir, where I developed much of my early work. Now, I am based in California, continuing to explore new forms of art and expanding my creative practice across painting, sculpture, and mixed media.”
What inspires you?
“I have always wanted to be a mermaid. As a result, I am inspired by the ocean — its rhythm, depth, and quiet strength — and by the contrasts within life itself. Coming from two opposite cultures has taught me to notice the different ways people see, feel, and live. I’m drawn to those subtle differences — the poetry in daily gestures, the hidden meanings behind expressions, the metaphors that connect us all. I love detail: in texture, in emotion, and in the spaces people often overlook. My art grows from observing these layers of life, where two worlds meet and something new begins to flow.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I often explore themes of identity, transformation, and connection. My work moves between the human and the oceanic — between what we are and what we came from. The ocean and its creatures are constant symbols in my work — each carrying its own story. The sea is a metaphor for emotion, memory, and the parts of ourselves that can’t be defined. I’m drawn to ideas of all is one, queerness, fluidity, and balance — how masculine and feminine energies, softness and strength, can exist together. Beneath everything, my message is about unity and remembrance: that we are made of water, that we belong to something larger, and that fluidity is not weakness but a form of freedom.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is fluid, bold, tactile, and quietly rebellious. Just as art is intangible and can’t be put in a box, I prefer to use materials beyond the traditional canvas. I love to explore textures and forms — painting on plywood, fabric, ceramics or metal etc — and often bring a sense of three-dimensionality into my pieces. I’m drawn to materials that hold memory and touch, layering them to create movement and depth, like the surface of water. My art is about translating feeling into form, letting emotion take shape through texture, light, and flow.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Salvador Dalí has always inspired me. I relate to his wild imagination and his fearless, naughty personality — he thought far beyond the ordinary and never apologized for it. Not just in his art but also in his daily life, like walking an anteater as a pet, he lived creatively and without limits. I admire his courage to blend dream and reality, logic and madness, while keeping a strong sense of beauty and detail. I’m also deeply inspired by the sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini — the way he brought stone to life with emotion and precision is breathtaking. His attention to detail and the movement in his work remind me how power and sensitivity can exist in the same form. Both artists, in their own ways, taught me that art should move, surprise, and awaken something within.”
“My work is fluid, bold, tactile, and quietly rebellious.”
What is your creative process like?
“I usually begin with a metaphor or a subject that holds a philosophical idea, and I spend time pondering it — turning it over in my mind before planning. From there, I let intuition and material take the lead: paint, clay, fabric, metal, or sea maps. I balance control and surrender, layering textures and forms until the piece finds its own rhythm. I want my art to look unique in many ways — to make people pause and see beyond what they see. For me, creating is about translating a feeling or question into something alive, something that breathes and invites reflection.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“An artist’s role is to remind people to feel, to see, and to question. Art slows us down in a world that moves too fast — it helps us reconnect with our emotions and with each other. I love how you can get so many different perspectives from so many people by looking at one image. Art doesn’t have to say something all the time; sometimes it’s simply a reflection of the artist’s own state. But I love when art makes your brain think in a totally different way — when you find yourself saying, ‘That’s so simple, why didn’t I think of that? Wow, why not?’ In this world of duality, where chaos and hardship often coexist, art gives you a safe zone to breathe — a moment to question, to feel, and to examine where you stand when you’re touched by what you see. In that way, art keeps evolving — flowing like water, reshaping how we see the world and ourselves. I create to remind people that we are all made of water.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“One of my most meaningful projects was my solo photography exhibition in İzmir titled Sikeste. For eight years, I photographed couches I came across in unexpected places — by roadsides, in fields, near the sea — capturing over 300 images. These abandoned couches felt like silent witnesses of human stories, carrying both comfort and loneliness. The exhibition reflected my fascination with traces people leave behind and how objects can hold emotion and memory. I was also featured in The Art of Saltwater, a book showcasing 70 artists from around the world inspired by the sea — a theme that continues to flow through my work today. Now based in California, I continue to explore new ways of merging painting, sculpture, and storytelling — always returning to water as my guide. I hope my art reminds people to pause — to breathe, to feel, to remember the water within them.”
Instagram: @nautimermaids
