Nilay Islek

Nilay Islek is a London-based artist, academic, and curator originally from İzmir, Turkey. She studied photography at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dokuz Eylül University and completed her PhD at the Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema at Ege University, focusing on visual culture, collective memory, and conceptual photography aesthetics.

Known for her interdisciplinary approach that combines artistic production, curatorial practice, and education, Islek has taught photography in various institutions over the years and actively participated in documentary, conceptual, and cross-cultural projects. In 2016, she became the first female photographer from Turkey to be awarded the title of “X-Photographer” by Fujifilm.

In 2018, she relocated to London after being awarded the prestigious “Exceptional Talent” artist visa by the United Kingdom. As an extension of the Artlens Visual Culture and Photography Workshop she founded in İzmir, she established Artlens London Visual Art Atelier in 2019. Islek continues her artistic production and workshops in London, where her interdisciplinary projects focus on themes of memory, identity, and place.