Artist, Climber & Adventurer — Meet Yagmur Kuzay 

Meet Yagmur Kuzay, a Seattle-based artist, climber, and adventurer who took a pretty big leap to build a life that felt more like her own after moving from Istanbul. After working in fashion design, Yagmur left her career, moved to the U.S., and started traveling. Somewhere along the way, she found a new kind of creative freedom in the outdoors, turning the places she climbs, explores, and travels into inspiration for her art. 

You left a career in fashion design to move to the U.S. and travel. What made you take the leap?

There was always a voice in my head telling me to explore. Between working in fashion design and traveling, I started getting glimpses of what it's like to be somewhere no one knows you, and I wanted more of that. I've always taken the hard way instead of the shortcut, so a big move felt like the natural next step. I wanted to see the world and learn who I am outside of everything familiar.

Your art is heavily inspired by your adventures. What comes first for you: the adventure or the art?

They're completely intertwined. I didn't grow up with the kind of access to nature that I have now, so I'm endlessly curious about adventures that let me push myself to the next level, whether that's a new sport or a harder objective. That challenge helps me get out of my head when I'm afraid to create something new. The more time I spend outside, the more inspired I am.

How has living in Seattle changed or influenced your creative work?

I grew up in a big city, and the outdoors wasn't part of my life until Seattle. The mountains here taught me not to limit myself, and that carries into my art. A hard climb pushes me past what I thought I could do, and it's made me braver creatively, too. Some mountains challenge you in the best way, and they've made me stronger both outside and in my work.

What do you think climbing gives you that other forms of adventure don’t?

For me, it comes down to problem solving. It makes you think harder like running you kinda have to keep running in order to get better at running but climbin, You have to imagine your move and try to put things together in your head before you attempt again sometimes. You get to push your body and your mind, and I love the challenge of it. I also love how community-oriented it is, and how many like-minded people you meet along the way.

If you could design the graphics for any outdoor brand in the world, what would it look like?

I've always dreamed of designing snowboards and skis. I snowboard myself, and a board is basically a giant canvas you get to ride down a mountain. I'd fill it with playful, whimsical illustrations so you smile every time you look down.

What does a perfect day outside look like to you?

Lately, a perfect day is a big hike or a scramble. I spend so much time on a screen and drawing, so getting outside, pushing myself, and ending the day exhausted makes me feel happy and grateful.

What’s next for you? Any big adventures or creative dreams on the horizon?

I'm working on an outdoor fashion show here in Seattle, which brings together the two worlds I come from: fashion design and the outdoors. Beyond that, I want to keep pushing myself with bigger scrambles and harder climbs, and keep turning those places into art. I want a life where the adventures and the creative work keep feeding each other.

Where can we follow along with your work and adventures?

I always try to share my work and adventures on Instagram, so that's the best place to follow along: @yagmurkuzay

Photos by: @stillsbypat & @halliekathryn