Photography by Mar Mizunaka
Studio Kōlea was named after a bird Ezgi often sees near her home in Hawai‘i: the kōlea, or Pacific Golden Plover. In Turkic, the bird is called Chuuskun, and for Ezgi, its migration carries a meaning that feels deeply connected to her own life. Its movement across land and ocean reflects her ancestral journey from Altai to the Ka‘ala mountains, while also representing the many places, cultures, and identities that have shaped who she is. Her work is not separated from that history. It is built from it.
Through Studio Kōlea, Ezgi creates original acrylic paintings, photography, and community-centered projects that invite women, especially women of color, to reclaim rest as something sacred. For her, rest is not laziness, weakness, or a reward that comes only after exhaustion. It is a birthright. It is also a form of resistance. In a world that often demands women carry more than they should, her work pushes back against the pressure to constantly produce, perform, and endure. She believes that when women rest, they gain clarity, and that clarity can help transform the systems that continue to oppress them.
Her creative journey began early. As a child, Ezgi loved painting and won an award at just six years old. That early recognition was only the beginning of a path that would eventually stretch across Istanbul, Europe, and Hawai‘i. One of the most meaningful figures in her journey was Feza, an artist who prepared students for fine arts exams and believed in Ezgi before they had even fully begun working together. Feza gave her a scholarship, helping open a door that would lead Ezgi further into art, design, and creative study. She later ranked third in admissions, earned two scholarships to study graphic design, and graduated with honors.
During college, Ezgi continued building her creative foundation while also working different jobs, including as a waitress, singer, and skateshop attendant. These experiences gave her a broader understanding of life, labor, creativity, and independence. She eventually studied in Italy and went on to spend ten years working in European design studios. Her career reached a historic moment when she became LEGO’s first Turkish woman art director and launched the company’s first campaign featuring children of color as heroes. That accomplishment reflects not only her professional talent, but also her commitment to representation and changing who gets seen in creative spaces.
Even while building a strong career as a creative director, Ezgi always knew she would return to painting. After moving to Hawai‘i, she began working with local galleries and artists, continuing to deepen her relationship with the creative community around her. When her son started school, she finally had the space to refocus on her own fine art practice. That season allowed her to return to a vision that had been living within her: women of color resting in muʻumuʻu, reimagined through love, softness, and radical resistance.
Ezgi’s creative identity is shaped by many layers of who she is. She describes herself as a diasporic Sufi mother, feminist, artist, and immigrant. Growing up in Istanbul and now living in Hawai‘i both inform the way she sees the world. Her art carries inspiration from local Hawaiian culture, Islamic art, and the places where cultures meet, such as the Shangri-La Museum and Istanbul Hawaii Restaurant. These influences do not compete with each other in her work. Instead, they help form a visual language that speaks to memory, belonging, ancestry, and respect.
At the center of her mission is a simple but powerful truth: everyone deserves love, rest, and equality regardless of ancestry, skin color, religion, or difference. Through her art, Ezgi hopes to shift the narrative around women of color by honoring their rest, brilliance, and humanity. Her work challenges the idea that women must constantly sacrifice themselves to be valued. Instead, she creates images and experiences that ask viewers to slow down and consider whose rest has been denied, whose stories have been overlooked, and whose peace deserves protection.
Her path has not been without challenges. As the third child of a single mother, Ezgi grew up without the kind of family support that many people hope for. She had to fight to be heard while navigating family conflict, and art became one of the ways she expressed what was difficult to say out loud. Life was not always easy, but her mother believed in her, and that belief mattered. Along the way, mentors such as Feza Tolgay, Tevfik Fikret Ucar, and Engin Kafadar also supported her creative development. In recent years, her husband, Joey, has become one of her biggest sources of support as she continues growing into herself as a fine art artist.
Photography by Mar Mizunaka
One of the accomplishments Ezgi is most proud of is simply being herself at 40. That may sound simple to some, but for her it carries the weight of survival, growth, identity, and acceptance. She is proud to be rooted in her Turkish heritage while embracing Hawaiian culture with deep respect. She honors the journey that shaped her and the communities that have helped guide her. Rather than separating her past from her present, she allows both to live within her work.
The message she wants her art to carry is clear: women need rest, and the world needs to let them have it. Women of color, in particular, have carried some of the hardest burdens, often expected to keep giving without being fully seen, supported, or protected. Ezgi hopes her work inspires everyone, especially men, to support women’s rest not just in words, but through action. For her, real change requires collective effort. Through art, she believes we can reimagine whose rest is celebrated, whose brilliance is honored, and whose humanity is protected.
What keeps Ezgi creating is the love and remembrance built into every brush stroke. Each piece becomes a quiet act of devotion toward a world where women and children are honored, safe, and allowed to rest. Her work is not only about beauty; it is about building a visual and emotional space where healing feels possible. Every painting, photograph, and community project becomes part of a larger conversation about care, justice, and belonging.
Currently, Ezgi is painting new works, preparing an exhibition, and launching a snail-mail club called Rest with Art. The club is designed for anyone seeking relief from hustle culture and will include stickers, postcards, a personal letter, and art journaling prompts. It launches this month with a special gift for the first ten subscribers, creating another way for people to connect with her work beyond traditional art spaces. Through this project, Ezgi is extending the mission of Studio Kōlea into people’s homes, offering a slower, more intentional form of creative connection.
Looking ahead, Ezgi hopes to continue building a meaningful legacy. She is interested in curating a group exhibition centered on rest, creating space for more artists and communities to explore what it means to disrupt harmful labor systems and reclaim belonging. She is also interested in teaching art, where she can pass down her knowledge of creativity, feminism, and visual storytelling. Her goals are not only about personal success; they are about creating work that can serve others, open conversations, and inspire deeper change.
Studio Kōlea is more than an art practice. It is a movement for women’s rest, resistance, and collective healing. Through her paintings, photography, community projects, and upcoming snail-mail club, Ezgi Iraz is creating work that asks people to pause, remember, and reimagine what care can look like. Her art reminds us that rest is not separate from justice. It is part of it.
To support Ezgi’s work, explore and collect original pieces at studiokolea.com. Follow her journey on Instagram at @studio_kolea, and subscribe to the newsletter for exclusive Snail Mail Club updates and special gifts at https://studiokolea.com/pages/newsletter.
