ZEYNEP | Abstract Acrylic Artwork | When Storm Turns to Peace

Born in the storm. Sent out into the world.

There I was, spatula in hand, while ZEYNEP went full drama outside.

In February 2022, Storm Zeynep – internationally known as Eunice – swept across Northern and Central Europe as part of a dramatic series of severe windstorms.

Outside, gusts of up to 196 km/h were recorded.

And me?

I painted.

I kept working with my spatula while the storm raged outside.

Of course, I had no idea what would come of it.

I rarely do when I paint. I simply surrender to whatever wants to flow through me.

And then, at some point, there it was:

ZEYNEP.

And honestly, even I was surprised by what had emerged.

Because this painting looks nothing like the storm it was born from.

It feels peaceful.

Clear.

Almost as if it had been washed clean.

As though the storm hadn't destroyed everything, but had simply come through and cleared the air.

Isn't that strange?

You might expect a painting created under such circumstances to look like a storm.

Wild.
Dark.
Threatening.

But ZEYNEP looks different.

Peaceful.
Clear.
As if something had finally been set free.

As though the storm hadn't destroyed everything, but had simply come through and cleared the air.

And that, to me, is where the real wonder of this painting lies.

Violence does not inevitably create more violence.
Chaos does not inevitably create more chaos.

Sometimes, something completely different can emerge.

Something beautiful.
Something pure.

Resemblances to the world around us today?

Entirely intentional.

Because ZEYNEP has become much more than a memory of a storm in February 2022.

We live in a time when so much feels loud.

Opinions collide.
People are afraid.
Divisions grow deeper.
And some days, the world can seem like a rather bleak place.

And that is exactly why I want to show this painting.

Not as an escape from the world.

But as an alternative to it.

Art changes the world.

Perhaps not with a great big bang.

Perhaps not in five minutes.

But it changes what we see.

It makes us think differently.
It allows us to feel where there was previously only survival mode.
It can pull us out of a perspective we've been stuck in for far too long.

And sometimes it reminds us that we get to choose what we make of what happens to us.

That, to me, is the real power of art:

It brings out the best in people.

Not always.

But sometimes.

And sometimes, sometimes is enough.

This is why ZEYNEP is going to the ART TUNNEL in Florence.

At the end of November 2026, the original won't simply hang on a wall.

ZEYNEP will be projected onto a 2.50 × 1.88 metre surface – on the ceiling above you.

The original itself is 1.00 × 1.20 metres.

But in Florence, ZEYNEP will become bigger than you.

You will stand beneath it.

You will look up.

And perhaps, for a moment, you will simply fall silent.

That is my wish.

Not that you find the painting “beautiful”.

But that, for a moment, it reminds you:

We are not at the mercy of the storm.
We can choose what comes from it.

And perhaps that is exactly why you ended up here.

ZEYNEP is a work of art.

But my art doesn't end at the wall.

I am fascinated by what happens between OUTSIDE and INSIDE.

By the traces our lives leave behind.

In our homes.
In our decisions.
In the things we keep.
And in the things we already know we'd be better off letting go.

That is why you will find more than art here.

You'll find WOHNUNGS-READINGS, thoughts, stories – and sometimes things that lead you to a question you haven't yet thought to ask yourself.

You don't have to believe any of it.

Curiosity is enough.

Perhaps you'll find a painting here.

Perhaps a story.

Perhaps a question.

Perhaps even a little piece of whatever it is you need right now.

Welcome to MYSTIQUE.

And thank you for following ZEYNEP this far.

Look around.

Stay curious.

Stay open.

Explore.

Let yourself be surprised.