artlens_london visual arts workshop
Nilay Islek was born in Izmir, Turkey. She completed her elementary and high
school education in this city. Photography became her interest in her high
school years. In 1999, she entered Dokuz Eylül University Fine Art Faculty and
graduated with the thesis “Sensual Projections” in 2003. She completed her
Master Degree in the same faculty with her thesis “Visual Culture and Social
Memory in the Context of Digital Photography Aesthetics” in 2009. Islek started
to perform Advertising Photography in 1995 during her education. While she moved
up the career ladder, she became a sought instructor and gave lectures in
several schools and associations such as Izmir Fen High School and Izmir
Association of Photography Art (IFOD). Universiade 2005 Izmir Summer Plays was
her first important international event as a member of the editorial board.
After that, she has participated in several international events and projects.
Her newest project is Izmir- Bremen Photography Artist Residency Program
“Elsewhere” between 2017-2018. In the meantime, Nilay Islek started her own
atelier, Artlens Visual Culture and Photography, which is a continuing education
centre in the field of photography for eight years now. In 2016, Nilay Islek is
chosen for the international title of Fujifilm “X-Photographer” as the first
woman photographer from Turkey. She’s been given Basic Photography Courses
Fujifilm Education Centre in Izmir as the official instructor of Fujifilm. She
worked as a lecturer at Izmir Economy University between 2015-2018. On the other
hand, her academic career is going on at the Ege University Faculty of
Communication, Radio, Television and Cinema PhD program. She lives and continues
her life of art in London. Nilay Islek’s courses www.nilayislek.com Fujifilm
X-Photographers
