Art, Love, Freedom The Amsterdam Diaries of Işık Tüzüner

Turkish-born artist Işık Tüzüner (b.1954) moved to Amsterdam in 1975 after falling in love with a Dutchman. She has donated twenty trilingual (Turkish-English-Dutch) diaries to Atria and shared elven more with researchers, supplemented by two interviews. Central to this chapter are Tüzüner's experiences as a migrant artist in Amsterdam, both in relation to her self-image and her image of the city. Using Gabriele Rippl's framework, her identity reflects both an "in-between migrant" and a "cosmopolitan traveller," but, ultimately, she defines herself as an Amsterdammer. While maintaining ties to her Turkish heritage, she embraces Amasterdam's liberal atmosphere, shaping her artistic and personal identity. Despite moments of displacement, she finds belonging in a city she associates with art, love and freedom.