Meftune Erduyan (Mef-tune-ay Er-doo-yawn) is an accomplished artist and local resident of Izmir, Turkey. Last year she exhibited multiple shows throughout Izmir and other cities in Turkey, selling many pieces of her artwork.

Along with regularly producing her own art, three days a week she teaches women to paint in many different styles.

Meftune really enjoys getting to spend time with her students and believes these classes are very important, not simply because the participants learn new art techniques, but because this time spent together serves as a form of therapy for them all, she says.

After her husband passed away, Meftune knew she needed to begin to focus more on her art. So, she bought an old electrician’s shop to renovate into an art studio.

She began to teach classes in her new studio and has found this to be a sweet gift, as she is able to share her art, fun-loving personality, and artistic abilities with others.

Some of Meftune’s students have also lost family members or are going through hard seasons in life and use the class time to decompress, talk about their experiences, and express themselves through their art.

Typically lasting all day, the classes usually involve the women eating lunch together, using the time to merely enjoy each other’s company.

Most of the students intentionally encourage one another as they work on their pieces and also help each other continue to grow in their practice.

In Turkish culture there is immense value in taking things slowly by drinking some tea or coffee throughout the day. During their classes, Meftune and her students have tea and coffee at the ready for themselves and for anyone else who might swing by the studio. 

The women use this downtime to sit back and survey their creations, chatting with one another about their works in progress.

Meftune is very generous to help her students and is always happy to show them new methods and techniques that allow their skills to flourish.

Through art, Meftune seeks to cultivate a stress-free environment of carefree fun and creativity. Generally, the women she teaches have a blast together and love getting to spend this time with her. Meftune hopes to encourage these women to have fun and express themselves even amidst the difficulties of life.