“Flowers in Concrete” is a project that presents my archive of children’s resistance against government-backed gentrification in Istanbul, alongside the subculture’s final stand against oppressive state policies in Turkey. Drawing on punk aesthetics and feminist principles, I created the series with intimate portraits of immigrant children living in the narrow streets of the Tarlabaşı district—a neighborhood I’ve been documenting since 2013 as it undergoes rapid transformation.
The series also includes powerful images from the 2013 Gezi Park protests and the LGBTQ pride marches held between 2013 and 2015. Through this work, I highlight the resilience of women and children in the face of systemic oppression, positioning feminism as a vital force in our collective struggle for justice.
