ZEYNEP PEHLİVAN

İzmir- Fatma Işık Kaya was born in Tire district of Izmir province in 1962. Fatma, who has been convicted of a vision disorder called Night blindness “nyctalopia” due to the consanguineous marriage of her parents, has shared the same fate with her brother. Although she was able to choose at least colors and some objects until high school, she lost her vision completely because of the gradual death of her eyes’ cells. Gradually losing her vision and eventually being stock in complete darkness was so devastating for her that she locked herself in the house for five years. Fatma had a hard time accepting this situation in for years. She often asked her parents, “Why did you give birth to me?” but she began to realize that saying that would not be the solution after a while. Her father, who felt responsible for what happened to her, showed her a new way to art. Fatma played mandolin, baglama and oud, and more importantly, although she was visually impaired, succeeded in bringing a great and powerful light to her dark world by drawing wonderful abstract paintings.

This inspiring story of Fatma attracts everyone's attention and she begins to tell her story…

“In fact, since my father was a gendarmerie officer, I never feel like to be homesick. People are born in certain places; they have childhood and youth friends, memories where they are born. But I haven’t had such life; because we had to move to many cities because of my father's job. At that time, we moved to İslahiye, Afyon, Van, Ankara and finally to İzmir. Although my disease progressed, I was getting good support from my friends and teachers during my secondary school years; but there was no support at high school.  I had to leave school that year because my disease progressed more. I could not even see the board. I couldn’t see anything while walking in the streets. As a young person, it was very difficult for me to accept that situation. I prefer having visual impairment at birth. Knowing that my disease was getting worse grieved me.  I can say that the real painful thing for me was the perspective of society in those years. People told me, “You cannot marry, you cannot read, let your brother marry and his wife become your friend.” Fortunately my family was supportive at that time.

When I look back, I see that art, especially painting, keeps me alive. It was a time when I realized that nothing would change even if I felt bad about it. I started to play mandolin with the support of my father. Then I took oud courses. I attended the rhythm course organized by the Red Crescent specifically for the visually impaired people. I also wanted to play baglama there and kept playing it for a while. My painting journey started in 1989. At that time, my father had read interesting news published by Hürriyet newspaper about a visually impaired person who draws pictures. I asked myself if I can do it or not. I drew several pictures. Someone told me, “You can exhibit these in a children’s exhibition”. I was very negatively affected by that comment. I burned all those pictures. I didn’t draw pictures for several years. In the early 2000s, I wanted to draw again and I drew again. Since then, I have kept drawing pictures. I am one of two visually impaired persons drawing pictures in Turkey now.

She held her first exhibition in Ankara

After meeting Kazım Karabekir's daughter by chance online, I sent her some of my pictures. She was very impressed by my paintings and said that we should hold an exhibition immediately.My mother was ill that time and my father and brother told me, “You should go, don’t worry we will look after your mother.” I held my first personal exhibition there at Kazım Karabekir Cultural Center. I stayed in Ankara for six days and have very good memories. I met professional painters, too. It was an inexplicable experience for me. 

Disabled people should discover what they are talented for

Difficulties faced by disabled people are different. But they should keep living. Disabled people should discover what they are talented for. I locked myself in the house for years. What changed? Nothing, I was just unkind to people around me and I became a hopeless person. Some questions have no answers. We will live like this and we should accept this life. Everyone can find a path.