Duygu Kivanc has studied art in all the places she has lived and traveled: Turkey, where she was born, New York City, Bhutan and finally Fairfax. A member of the McLean Art Club, Kivanc is included in the “Encyclopedia of Living Artists” and has recently published a book, “Paintings of Travels to Bhutan.” She is this week’s People Profile.
How long have you lived in the area and what brought you here? We came here in the ‘80s, but then we were living in the McLean area. We loved it there. My husband worked for the World Bank at that time. But after four years he took an assignment in Bhutan. That’s where the book comes from. Our two elder children were in George Mason at the time, we left them and took the youngest, who was in junior high. When we got back it was in 1987 and we thought we should be closer to George Mason University.
Family: My father was in the military in Turkey, and my mom was a private schoolteacher. I was born in Izmit, which was a suburb of Istanbul, in 1945. Then when I was in my teenage years we were in Ankara. I started to take some English classes at the British council in Ankara. That’s how we met, me and my husband. We got married after a year and he had a scholarship to Syracuse University for a master’s degree. He came to school, and I followed him. We had our first baby there. We were in and out of the States because of my husband’s occupation, but I feel like I am really American because my teenage years were spent here. So many big events, like the Kennedy assassination, I was always here … to make that conscious decision is very important. That’s how you become an American.
Education: I went to an English-taught school in Ankara. It’s not college but it’s called Ankara College. Then I went to art institute in New York, after marriage.
Activities/interests/hobbies: Mostly art. I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’m a member of MOCA Galleries [in Georgetown] and I have to produce two new works of art each month. That keeps me busy. Aside from that I try to get involved in many other art groups.
What is you favorite place in the community? I love to visit parks and take the grandchildren. I love to go to Washington, I love Georgetown. I want to go paint in the Blue Ridge mountains. I look forward to that every year but something always comes up with the family. One of these days I’ll go.
How did you come up with the idea of making a book of your paintings from Bhutan? I spent three years there and I have good memories about the place. I accumulated paintings and I thought it was a good idea to write about Bhutan from my life story.
How do you describe Bhutan? It is a fascinating place. Some people call it Shangri-La. It’s so peaceful. Because of the Buddhist religion, everybody is really gentle. Even though it is difficult to find some materialistic things like here, still we had a wonderful time.
Community concerns: I don’t have any concerns, but there’s always room for improvement, don’t you think? Virginia is not like any other state, people are less friendly than in Maryland or any other state. But here in this community the people are friendlier.
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you “grew up?” Always, always I was imagining myself doing some kind of art. When I was 4-years-old we would make mudpies and make furniture out of it, and I would teach the other kids how to paint them. The mothers loved me for occupying their children.
What do you hope the readers get from your book? I hope the readers get to be open-minded about other cultures, and like to know about other cultures. Not to live very secluded and think that America is occupying this planet.
Personal goals: Health, because when you come to my age it is a main concern. And I would like to have peace. It’s such a cliché but I would like to have peace around the world.
— Lea Mae Rice