Parallel Universe - Standing Tree Artwork

In 2015, the image of a drowned Syrian boy gripped the planet's attention, giving a human face to the conflict which drove away so many people towards an uncertain fate. Turkey felt the full weight of human suffering, giving shelter to more than three and a half million refugees. Uğur Gallenkuş, an ordinary citizen living in Istanbul felt the need to act, to help, to make a difference: and he did it the best way he could – through his unique blend of expression.  Today, the world knows Uğur as the artist behind the stories told through his digital collages. In reality, he is a business-school graduate leading an ordinary life when tragedy struck in Syria. He knew nothing about digital art, but he started learning about design programs from online sources. A white-collar worker by day turned into a self-taught digital artist by night. In fact, after all the success that happened, he still leads a simple life, working his daily job. He cannot explain what brought his artistic side so suddenly to the spotlight – everything happened as if by divine design. He felt a purpose that could not be denied and saw how to start a unique conversation between two seemingly completely opposite scenes.