su güzey

A black and white head and shoulders shot of su guzey dressed in a flannel shirt that is buttoned up to the top
Faculty

su güzey is an artist from Istanbul, Turkey, who currently lives in Philadelphia. In 2022, güzey began teaching at UArts as an adjunct assistant professor and also works as a production assistant for the undergrad program and operations assistant for UArts’ Dance MFA summer term.

Biography

su güzey studied in the Management of Performing Arts Department, at Bilgi University, Istanbul, in 2009. In 2011, they entered MSGSÜ Istanbul State Conservatory Contemporary Dance Department and graduated in 2015. In the fall term of the 2014–2015 academic year, they went to study in Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversitat in Vienna, Austria, with the Erasmus+ program.

In 2020, güzey got accepted to the Fulbright Scholarship program for her MFA in Dance and graduated in 2023 from University of the Arts.

Experience

güzey’s work has been staged internationally and chosen as part of residencies in Istanbul and Lisbon. 

  • They have performed in many choreographers’ work, such as Jerome Bel, Helder Seabra, La Fura Dels Baus, Ann Van den Broek, Aakash Odedra, Anton Lachky, Korhan Başaran, Jesus de Vega Gomez, Slobodan Dan Paich, Esther Balfe,Aydın Teker, Willi Dorner, Mustafa Kaplan and  Isaac Chong Wai.

  • güzey presented their choreography, “Store My DNA, So They Can Regenerate My Soul,” in the İKSV 19th Istanbul Theatre Festival in 2014.

  • Their collaboration with Evrim Akyay began in April 2019 with their first performance piece, “kitty kitty,” the creation process of which was sponsored by Akbank Sanat. “kitty kitty” made its Turkish premiere in the 23rd IKSV Istanbul Theatre Festival in December 2019 and was accepted to Zaratan Artist-in-Residence program in Lisbon, Portugal. The work was also performed in Lisbon in collaboration with the Zaratan and Largo residencies.

  • “kitty kitty” was also accepted to Aerowaves Twenty21 Choreographers for the 2020–2021 season and was performed in the Port of Dance Festival, Rijeka, Croatia.

  • Akyay and güzey’s second piece, “rattling,” premiered in A Corner in the World Festival in SALT Beyoğlu, Istanbul, in May 2019, and was included in Tanzwerkstatt Europa Festival in June 2020. In 2021, it was awarded an artist residency at Neimenster, Luxembourg, then performed in Aerowaves Dance Festival Luxembourg in August of the same year.

  • Next was their collaboration “small talk,” which was created in a residency in Lisbon and premiered in Zaratan, Lisbon.

  • güzey created and organized the Visibility in Art Festival with two other co-creators in 2014. The first year happened in collaboration with Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. It started in Istanbul and is now held in Izmir in collaboration with budala sultan collective.

Visit su güzey’s website.