ART & US

Increasing social awareness through the power of art

People with mental disabilities like Down syndrome have been marginalized as the “other,” and often kept in life’s shadows. Bringing “different” people into the mainstream is one of the primary objectives of the Istanbul Education and Solidarity Foundation for the Mentally Handicapped (IZEV).

To achieve this goal, IZEV created “Art & Us,” an art-based social awareness project that utilizes world-famous Renaissance portraits to convey a very important message: We are here!

The Renaisssance was a watershed period that radically changed both the idea of what it means to be human, and the manner in which humans are depicted. IZEV believes this enlightened concept of humanity applies to everyone. 

“Art & Us” was conceived under the supervision of Foundation President Merve Kilic and Honorary President Hakan Kural. Eight inspirational “different” young men and women who had participated in IZEV’s innovative educational and vocational programs sat for photographer Alper Aksoy. Graphic artist Elif Basol Aksoy then digitally transposed their faces onto 12 legendary Renaissance portraits.

These powerful artworks have been displayed in a number of exhibitions with different titles—“Art & Us” throughout Turkey, and “Mona Lisa with Down Syndrome” in New York.  

The title of its latest iteration, “The +1 Muse,” suggests that these eight accomplished individuals with one extra chromosome might have caught the Renaissance maestros’ attention, inspiring them to create these timeless masterpieces.