ziplock pigeon
Anything can become anything else; it’s just a matter of coincidence. How we meet, where we dwell, even what we feel—intentionally left unintentional, we drift through the river of time. Have you ever felt the pull of the unseen, the allure of what’s just beyond perception? Stefan Visan lives in that very beyond.
Stefan’s artistic process is as instinctive as it is relentless. Objects converge by chance in his studio, forming unplanned connections as if destiny wove them together. Immersed in the here and now, he curates a world of boundless curiosity. In this white box, encounters are all that matter. Stefan looks inward to find the missing pieces: “It’s about the here and now—sitting in a room, in red light, with coffee, cigarettes, and music… It’s about sitting alone with myself,” he reflects. A lot to confess, a lot to discover… ready to remove your blinders?
YANKI Can you walk us through your creative vortex—from that first spark to the final form?
STEFAN The first spark can appear in several ways, any moment of the day. Though, it apperas most often when I’m in the studio studying objects—”playing” we may call it. As a child, I had a world of my own. I used to study objects, nature and people. I would take apart any watch I found around the house to study its mechanisms so for a long time I thought I would become a jeweler or a watchmaker. Eventually, I had a room full of drawings and that’s how I ended up in art classes. Painting is my first love, but not having enough resources to paint, I looked for some other menas to express myself.
From that initial spark my process has a lot of study, repetition and frustration—sometimes only for one shot. Apart from the 6 hours that I spend in the studio every day, it can even appear when I sleep and wake up with an idea. As if I dreamt it. Other times, it’s ignited by what happens around me or in the world. I think a lot… It’s a constant exercise and I never abandon an idea even if sometimes I think it’s impossible to achieve.
YANKI Inspiration can be quite shy for some; where does it hide in your world? How is your relationship with the concept?
STEFANInspiration can be found anywhere and in anything in my world. There are some ideas that surprise me sometimes and I don’t know how I ended up creating them. The relationship with my multiple concepts is very connected and close to me.
YANKI Given that you’re working with a lot of unconventional ideas, do you ever find yourself against a creative block? How do you tackle it?
STEFAN Oh, so many times! There are moments when I think to myself, “That’s it, no more ideas for you” I don’t know how to approach it exactly either… I go into the studio and after spending so many hours alone and come out without realizing no work is very frustrating. Sometimes, I go into to studio and spend hours and hours alone only to come out without any finished work. It gets very annoying. But I’ve noticed that going out into the nature helps, I have a favorite place where I think and recharge myself. Then, I start from the beginning and start studying objects, nature, people again—walking kilometers on foot.
YANKI How much of your artistic direction is instinctive?
STEFAN I make the connection between objects instinctively, there are works that appear naturally. Objects meet by chance in my studio. For example, two objects can sit next to each other for a while and out of the blue I might glance over them and see exactly the connection.
YANKI What was the last thing that you found muse in? What amazed you about it?
STEFAN My wife, Alexandra. We’ve had the same fight for a long time. She’s the one who gives me a boost when I’m down and keeps me going. She also argues with me when I call some of my own works “mess.” I have a series of works that will continue with the two of us. What amazes me about her is her strength—how she fights with both my family and hers so that we don’t have regular jobs. She has always supported me emotionally as an artist and never let me quit, even when we were going through very difficult times.
YANKI Do you believe it’s an artist’s mission to disrupt? While producing, do you aim to disrupt, or is it a natural occurrence of the work you do?
STEFAN Not at all. I’m not trying to disrupt. I’ve noticed from the messages and comments on some of my works that it happens, but it’s never intentional. Even when I work for a brand, there are times when a piece is sent back to me for a redo because it’s considered too disruptive. I’ve realized that sometimes I have no control over this and don’t even recognize when a work might move in that direction.
Inspiration can be found anywhere and in anything in my world. There are some ideas that surprise me sometimes and I don’t know how I ended up creating them.”
-Stefan Visan
YANKI You once mentioned “Everything I create is handmade, nothing digital.” Is your art channeling the Platonic metaphors, reflecting digital shadows of physical unexpectedness’ or are you all about bottling the raw essence of the here and now?
STEFAN There was confusion that my work was digital, I’ve even received messages and comments calling me “a digital master.” But for me, it’s about the here and now—sitting in a room, in red light, with coffee, cigarettes, and music…It’s about sitting alone with myself.
YANKI Your social media basically serves as your own gallery—an exhibition space. How do you feel about it serving as a modern canvas? Does the fleeting nature of it ever make you think it devalues artistic integrity?
STEFAN Well, it’s about validating an artist’s work as the public perceives it, and that validation happens very quickly. This instant feedback can become addictive, but it’s not about chasing engagement or likes. If you, as an artist, don’t get caught up in those metrics, social media can be a very effective exhibition space. What makes me happy is seeing people from different nations and cultures around the world resonate with my work—something that’s harder to achieve in a physical gallery.
YANKI How does your emotional landscape inform your choice of materials? How does this process reflect on the final work?
STEFAN My emotional landscape is deeply reflected in my works. It guides me in choosing materials like roses, leaves, feathers, and many more. Each material becomes part of the story, shaped by the emotions behind the idea, and this connection carries through to the final work.
A few years ago, I found an injured pigeon among some roses on the street. I took it in, cared for it, and bandaged its wound. The pigeon stayed in my studio for three years because it could no longer fly due to its injuries. This experience inspired one of my works: a rose tied with a zip tie. It was a reflection of that moment, blending care, fragility, and resilience into a single piece.
YANKI Now flipping the script to the other side, do the materials you repurpose carry their own stories or simply start fresh chapters?
STEFAN It depends on the materials. Some, like candles or white gloves—which I always manage to stain and can’t use anymore—start fresh chapters. But others come with their own stories, carrying a sense of history that becomes part of the final work.
YANKI A confession about yourself?
I don’t have a driver’s license, and I’m 38 years old. I walk a lot and ride a bike.
YANKI What excites you that is in the horizon?
STEFAN I feel that, through my work, I’ll soon be able to buy my own house and have a bigger studio.
From Based Istanbul N°44 – Confessions Issue. “World is basically a “dynamic” mess of jiggling things. You need to confess your messy parts first.” Buy your copy now!
Stefan Visan In conversation with Tunga Yankı Tan