Gulsum Keskinoglu
Artist, Curator & Founder of Awita New York
Gulsum Keskinoglu is a New York City–based artist, curator, and founder of Awita New York. Born in 1989 in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, she received her early artistic training at Isparta Anatolian Fine Art High School and later earned a BA in Fine Arts with a focus on sculpture from Mugla Faculty of Fine Arts in Bodrum.
After graduating, Keskinoglu continued developing her studio practice while working in the studio of ceramic artist Tevfik Turen Karagozoglu. In 2014 she moved to New York to study English, later returning to Turkey to present her first solo exhibition in Bodrum in 2015. Shortly after, she returned to New York to continue building her artistic career.
Keskinoglu’s multidisciplinary practice spans painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, and jewelry design, with many of her works created using pointillism techniques. Her work often explores themes of identity, the female form, and empowerment. Over the past decade, her work has been exhibited internationally in cities including New York, Paris, Athens, Kyiv, Montreux, and Istanbul. Her solo exhibitions include presentations at Dacia Gallery in New York, and her work has also been featured in international art fairs such as Art Expo New York and Superfine Art Fair.
In 2023, Keskinoglu founded Awita New York Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn — an artist-run gallery and creative space dedicated to exhibitions, artist collaborations, and community programming. Through this platform she has curated numerous exhibitions supporting emerging and international artists.
Alongside her fine art practice, she also founded Awita New York Design, where she creates sculptural handmade jewelry and offers permanent jewelry experiences, custom charm jewelry, and studio-based jewelry design sessions that merge contemporary craft with participatory design.
Keskinoglu is also active as a curator and juror, having served on international exhibition juries in Athens, Chios Island, and New York. She is the founder of Awita New York Art Magazine, a digital publication featuring artist interviews and international spotlights, further extending her commitment to supporting contemporary artists and creative communities.
Solo Exhibitions
2022
-Wildflower — Dacia Gallery, New York, NY
2019
-A Woman in the Arts — Dacia Gallery, New York, NY
2019
-Solo Exhibition — Jplus Art Gallery, New York, NY
2015
-Things That We Know — Defne Art Gallery, Bodrum, Turkey
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023
-Seattle Erotic Art Festival (SEAF), Juried Selection — Seattle, WA
-Artists Connect — Burgas Municipality Artist Society, Burgas, Bulgaria
-She Is… — One Art Space, New York, NY
-International Women’s Day Art Fair — One Art Space, New York, NY
2022
-Mirror — Transcarpathian Regional Art Museum, Ukraine
-Color Me Mine — Enroute Fine Arts & Ludmilla Moshek Gallery, Montreux, Switzerland
-Soleil Et June — Fourart Gallery / Patan Art Gallery, Paris, France
-International Plastic Arts Association (UPSD) — Istanbul, Turkey
-Stroll — Bogoridi Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
-Art Expo New York — New York, NY
-She Is… — One Art Space, New York, NY
-International Women’s Day Art Fair — One Art Space, New York, NY
2021
-Conspicuous Interactions — National Academy of Fine Arts, Kyiv, Ukraine
-Non-Interactive to Interactive — Film Gate / Pinelo Art Gallery, Miami, FL
-Projections of Paper — Boris Georgiev City Art Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
-Ceremony — Lavisione Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
-She Is… — One Art Space, New York, NY
2020
-She Is… — One Art Space, New York, NY
2019
-Artifacts — One Art Space, New York, NY
-Superfine Art Fair — New York, NY
-The Soho Art Show — New York, NY
2012
-Graduation Exhibition — Mugla University, Turkey
-Idart Art Gallery — Bodrum, Turkey
2009
-Ataturk Cultural Center Exhibition — Mugla, Turkey
Curatorial Projects
2023 – Present
Founder & Curator, Awita New York Studio — Brooklyn, NY
Artist-run exhibition space presenting international group exhibitions, artist collaborations, and community programming.
2025
Exhibition Collaboration with the International Association of Art (IAA-USA) — Awita New York Studio, Brooklyn, NY.
2025
International Exhibition Collaboration with UPSD Türkiye (International Association of Art – UNESCO-affiliated) — Awita New York Studio, Brooklyn, NY.
2023
Women’s Group Show — Curator & Artist, EV Gallery, New York, NY.
Jury & Professional Roles
2024
-Juror, NYLights Art Exhibition — Awita New York Studio, New York, NY
Organized by IKSAD Institute in partnership with Haliç University, Pinelo Art Gallery, and the Online Picasso Project, Sam Houston University.
Jury committee included academic faculty and department heads from Beykent University, Trakya University, Marmara University, and Haliç University, along with international gallery representatives.
2022
-Juror, International Students Art Exhibition — Municipal Art Gallery, Chios Island, Greece
Organized in collaboration with Pinelo Art Gallery and Üsküdar University
2022
-Juror, International Students Art Exhibition — Dacia Gallery, New York, NY
Organized in collaboration with Pinelo Art Gallery and Üsküdar University
2022
-Juror, Rebuild – International Students Art Exhibition — UNESCO Piraeus & Islands Center, Athens, Greece
Organized in collaboration with Pinelo Art Gallery and Üsküdar University
Institutional Partnerships & Affiliations
2025 – Present
Sponsor Gallery, International Association of Art (IAA/USA) — New York, NY
Awita New York Studio serves as a sponsor gallery supporting artists, exhibitions, and cultural programming connected to the International Association of Art, a UNESCO-affiliated global network of artists and cultural institutions.
2023 – Present
Gallery Partner, HUG Studios — Global Artist Platform
Awita New York Studio is part of the HUG Gallery Partners network, collaborating on open calls, exhibitions, and international artist opportunities.
2022 – Present
Artist Member, International Association of Art (IAA/USA) — New York, NY
Member of the International Association of Art, a UNESCO-affiliated global network supporting artists, cultural exchange, and international exhibitions.
