Interview with Omar Danial Biuiiuktosun
- Cista Arts team
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
An interview with visual artist and photographer Omar Danial Biuiiuktosun.
What initially sparked your interest in pursuing art, and how has your journey evolved since then?
I’ve always been drawn to visuals, even before I realised it could be something I’d seriously pursue. My parents used to take me to museums and galleries when I was growing up, so I was exposed to art early on — but always from a place of quiet curiosity rather than ambition. I think I just liked noticing things: light, composition, rhythm — the small details that shape how we see the world.
I started taking photos as a hobby, without thinking of it as something serious. Later, while studying filmmaking, I became more interested in the visual side of things the camera, the lighting, and how those elements can affect emotion. Working around light helped me see how much mood and atmosphere depend on subtle choices.
Photography eventually became a way for me to slow down and reflect. It’s less about documenting reality and more about trying to capture how a moment feels. Over time, it’s grown into something that helps me understand and connect with my surroundings a quiet way to make seen.
My parents used to take me to museums and galleries when I was growing up, so I was exposed to art early on — but always from a place of quiet curiosity rather than ambition. I think I just liked noticing things: light, composition, rhythm — the small details that shape how we see the world.
Can you tell us about a specific piece of your artwork that holds particular significance to you, and what inspired its creation?
My series Street Layers is probably the most personal and significant work I’ve made. The idea started by accident a roll of film got double exposed by mistake, and I became curious about what would happen if I did it intentionally. Those overlapping images seemed to capture the complexity of city life — how everything is connected, even when it looks chaotic.
What began as a technical experiment turned into a reflection on time, memory, and coexistence. It’s about how spaces, people, and emotions overlap — how every moment carries traces of another. It reminds me that even in the mess and noise of the city, there’s structure, rhythm, and quiet beauty if you look closely enough.
How do you navigate the balance between staying true to your artistic vision and experimenting with new techniques or styles?
For me, staying true to my vision means staying open. I wouldn’t say I have a fixed style or formula — I’m still figuring things out, and maybe I always will be. Part of me wants to find stability, but another part hopes I never fully do, because that’s what keeps it exciting.
My process is more about exploration than perfection. I use analogue techniques because I love the unpredictability, they bring you never really know what the result will be until it’s developed. I keep experimenting: layering exposures, mixing digital and film, playing with light and installation. That sense of curiosity, not control, is what keeps my work alive.
My process is more about exploration than perfection. I use analogue techniques because I love the unpredictability, they bring you never really know what the result will be until it’s developed. I keep experimenting: layering exposures, mixing digital and film, playing with light and installation. That sense of curiosity, not control, is what keeps my work alive.
What role do you believe art plays in society, and how do you envision your work contributing to the artistic dialogue?
I think art helps us slow down and really look. It gives us a way to express what can’t always be said, and to share how we see the world. Art also becomes a kind of imprint something that reflects the time we live in and how we feel within it.
In a world that moves too fast, art creates space for awareness not only of beauty but of fragility and change. My work often deals with time and impermanence, and I hope it helps people notice the rhythm of their surroundings how even stillness is part of motion. I hope it encourages someone to see the everyday with a bit more curiosity.
My work often deals with time and impermanence, and I hope it helps people notice the rhythm of their surroundings how even stillness is part of motion. I hope it encourages someone to see the everyday with a bit more curiosity.
Are there any upcoming projects or themes that you're excited to explore in your future artworks, and if so, what draws you to these ideas?
I do have some ideas, though they’re still in early stages. I’d like to keep expanding Street Layers — maybe exploring other cities, countries, and natural environments. I’m curious to see how this idea of layering and rhythm changes when it’s taken outside of London, into different atmospheres and landscapes. I’m also interested in experimenting more with moving image and sound — to explore how rhythm and emotion can exist across different mediums.
How do you hope your art will impact viewers, and what message or emotion do you aspire to convey through your creative expressions?
I hope my work makes people pause and look a little longer. It reminds them of something familiar, like a fleeting moment or a feeling they can’t quite describe. I don’t want to tell people what to feel; I want to leave room for interpretation.
At one exhibition, someone told me that Street Layers felt like a dream you can’t quite make out the details, but the emotion stays with you. That really stayed with me, because that’s exactly what I want: for my work to feel alive and give people something for them to figure out, spark questions. If a photograph can make someone feel both calm and unsettled at once somewhere between memory and now I would take it as compliment.