Finding one’s true calling is a daunting prospect, with experiences along the way ultimately lending themselves to a deeper understanding and satisfaction. Ece Çiftçi spent her time at university and early professional career traversing a path which made excellent use of her skills in design and creativity, always hinting at what was to come. Spending seven years abroad, Ece maintained a varied scope of study and spent time honing her talents as an art director in both California and New York, eventually returning to Istanbul and becoming involved in the advertising sector. Throughout it all, her passion for storytelling and illustration continued to burn bright, regularly featuring in her work and patiently waiting to be fully realized. In looking through Ece’s portfolio, it feels fitting that she has since transitioned into a full-time freelance role, free to pursue what she loves and share her impressive work with a larger audience. Her expressive, rich illustrations feature a variety of unique characters, always showcasing her expertise and managing to feel delightfully wholesome. Thus, it’s no surprise her sincere effort in this recent chapter of her professional life is paying off, with her work featured in exhibitions in both Turkey and abroad within the last year, and with much to anticipate on the horizon.
We took some time to speak with Ece on the journey which inevitably led her to illustration & graphic design, her diverse portfolio and recent exhibitions, the virtues of doing work you find rewarding, and how this all speaks to what we can expect from her in the months ahead.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am an International Dynamic Customer Implementation Orchestrator at heart but I’m currently working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator.
Could you tell us a bit more about your professional background leading up to your work today?
I grew up here in Istanbul. I went to St. Benoit French High School, and then I moved to the US for college. At the time, I had thought of going to an art school but I was sort of undecided and I wanted to pursue different interests. I ended up double majoring in Psychology and Studio Art with a concentration in Photography at the University of Virginia.
After college, I knew I wanted to have a creative job. I thought advertising could be an interesting field because I always enjoyed the process of coming up with ideas and storytelling. What excites me the most is coming up with “what-if” scenarios.
I needed to have a portfolio specifically for advertising to get a job in the field so I ended up moving to San Francisco to attend Miami Ad School. It’s a very industry-specific portfolio program that is mainly based in Miami but has a bunch of different campuses all around the world. I studied Art Direction there. Besides learning about basic design, I think the school mainly helped in exercising idea muscles. It was mostly about problem-solving; observation, finding good insights, coming up with ideas and executing them.
Then I moved to New York for an internship opportunity. It was a part of the school program and I was still taking classes at night. Right after I graduated, I started working at 360i (Dentsu’s digital agency). All the briefs we were getting were asking us to come up with the “unexpected”. It sort of became a joke and I started this daily 10-minute side project called “Desk Unexpected” where I would come up with a sentence that has probably never been said before through Play-Doh characters. My desk looked like a clown’s desk with a 24-color Play-Doh set but it was all acceptable in the agency. I was having a lot of fun with it. Having the time limit also helped me to let loose and not worry about it too much.
I was happy to be offered a full-time job there right around when my work permit was ending. But it was followed by a very long and uncertain visa period. It eventually didn’t work out. At that point, I was pretty tired of the whole process and I was ready to make my move back home.
When I moved back to Istanbul, I got a job again in advertising to explore the industry in Turkey. Even though I had the opportunity to work on some fun spots, I found it pretty difficult to treat a full-time advertising job as a day job and focus on my own projects because of the fast-paced environment and the unpredictability of the work hours. I was still doing side projects but I needed some time to focus and learn. The experience also solidified in me the feeling that the field and I were not as good a match as I had initially thought.
I came to ATÖLYE as the team’s first official graphic designer. After working as a part of the team for a year, I eventually became a member. I now do freelance branding projects for clients and I am finally focusing more on illustration & storytelling.
You have a very varied portfolio. Is there one particular area that you consider your true calling?
I don’t really see these things as being too different from one another. I think they’re essentially based on understanding people & coming up with an idea and delivering it in an efficient way.
I consider anything related to play, storytelling, illustration as my true calling, in the sense that they’re the ones that keeps me sane. I like experimenting with words and pictures. I’m doing the client work to be able to afford what I’m doing. I also enjoy collaborating with people.
Having spent so much time abroad, could you elaborate a bit on what impact you believe it had on you and your professional path?
I ended up staying in the US for almost seven years and I think it has definitely had a tremendous impact! It sounds cliché but I really do believe in the importance of getting out of your comfort zone. In my experience, I felt that my sense of home got expanded as I lived in different places and I’ve gotten to know myself better.
I also think that living abroad (and especially moving around) helped me to tolerate the feeling of discomfort. I’ve learned to accept it as the natural part of any new experience and as a potential for growth. I think at work, it’s sort of the same thing. Any creative effort, by its very nature, requires us to navigate through the unknown. I believe a certain level of discomfort is necessary.
What projects are you currently working on? What is your day to day like?
My day to day varies. It depends on the client work that I have. An ongoing project is for Ahmet Alpat’s DIY 3D printer called Kitto. I did the branding along with the manual that explains the step-by-step assembly process.
I also have some new personal projects coming up, but I will be ready to share them with you once they’re out!
How has ATÖLYE fit in to what you do?
ATÖLYE has become a second home for me. I have met so many amazing people here and I was lucky to take part in many collaborations. The freelance life can be very isolating so I think it’s good to be around like-minded people.
Could you tell us a bit about some of your previous projects or exhibitions you’ve been featured in? Any that you’re especially proud of?
I took part in two group exhibitions in the past year. The first one was the PMS Augmented Reality Show at Bant Mag.’s Bina, curated by my super-talented friend, Meltem Şahin. And the other one was at the Santa Maria della Pietà Cultural Center in Cremona, Italy. My illustration got selected for the 13th edition of Tapirulan Cultural Association’s Annual Illustrators Contest. I was selected among the 48 artists among 855 participants and was very happy about it. The exhibit has recently moved to Genoa Nervi and will continue until the 10th of June. I’m proud to haven taken part in both.
Any projects or goals approaching that you could share with us? What does 2018 look like for you?
I feel like I’m getting closer to what I’ve always wanted to do. I am hoping to be able to focus more on the personally-rewarding projects.
As we’re an advice publication for foreigners living in Istanbul, we generally ask interviewees for recommendations on places to go. Any hidden gems you’d like to share?
I’ve been craving some Basta dürüm lately so now that’s all I can think of.
To keep up with Ece and her illustrations, be sure to visit her official site, as well as find her branding and graphic design via her Behance. You can also follow her on Instagram and check out her weekly Spotify playlists.
ATÖLYE Spotlight is our series on the inspiring community members of Istanbul’s most creative space.
All images courtesy of the interviewee.
