Abstract Expression: Are You Crazy? – Ilos Ilyas Elias Kirkan

The day I woke up and decided I wanted to become an artist, almost everyone asked, “Are you crazy?” Maybe I was.

After all, creativity demands confidence. It requires courage, perseverance, time, and energy. And perhaps, above all, it requires a touch of madness – the willingness to believe in a vision that others cannot yet see.

The Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis captured this idea beautifully: “You have everything but one thing: madness. A man needs a little madness, or else he never dares cut the rope and be free.”

His words remind us that true freedom and creativity often begin where convention ends. Sometimes, it takes a little “madness” to let go of fear, break away from expectations, and pursue the life we are meant to live.

I don’t need anyone’s permission to paint just because I didn’t come from the “right” art school or have a traditional artistic background. Art isn’t about where you started – it’s about what you have to say and having the courage to express it. It’s about continuing to create, again and again, while others are busy criticising.

I have learned that passion can grow into contentment, and contentment can become purpose. You just have to believe in it.

At my very first exhibition, someone asked me how much one of my paintings cost. When I told her the price, she looked at me and said, “Wow, that’s expensive. You’re not even famous.”

That moment stayed with me.

But the truth is, my work – like every artist’s – isn’t priced based on fame. It’s priced on the countless hours, days, months and years of practice, creative energy, emotional investment, materials, and dedication that go into every single piece.

Fame doesn’t paint the canvas. I do. The artists do …

There’s a quote often attributed to Vincent van Gogh in a letter to his brother Theo: “Any canvas that has been covered with paint is worth more than a blank one.” Whether or not those are his exact words, the sentiment resonates with me. Every finished painting represents time, courage, persistence, and a part of the artist who created it.

Whether I am known by ten people or ten thousand, I know the value of what I create – and I honour that value in the way I price my work. Because the value of art is not measured by my fame or the artist’s fame. It’s measured by the years it took to become the person capable of creating it.

Conceptual Danish-Kurdish Artist KIRKAN, Ilos Ilyas Elias

IN THE SKIES WITH THE BUBBLES
Size Approx. 200x155cm
Lisbon 2025 – Mixed media, acrylics and spray paint on carpet