Asuman Dogan, a Turkish-Canadian watercolour artist and sculptor,  Born in Izmir, Turkey, in 1963, Asuman graduated from the Dokuz Eylul University in Buca, Izmir, where she studied Fine Arts with a speciality in painting and sculpture.  Asuman continues to work on her art form. Her painting style has developed over the years, and the subject matter reflects the richness and inspiration of the countries in which she has travelled. Asuman is a full-time working mother of two sons.

Asuman has a profound regard for her Turkish heritage and this sentiment is revealed in her painting. Through her choice of subject she sensitively captures the essence of a traditional way of life that is quickly disappearing.

Asuman’s artwork is semi-expressionist in style.  Her early work captures the essence of traditional village life in Turkey: the panoramic scene of a small town, or a narrow street and building in an Anatolian village.  Her still life paintings are equally imaginative, characterized by the same application of loose washes and contrasting colours that bloom into each other to give a sense of both solidity and transience.  Asuman’s painting has evolved over the years, reflecting the richness and inspiration of her travels, scenes from Venice or sunflowers in the French countryside. 

Although Asuman’s sculptures focus primarily on the female form and traditional village women, her subjects are actually symbolic of the universal struggle of women. Her medium is clay, her fingers are her tools; the result, a figure expressive of both raw vitality and pathos. Critics have likened her style to Rodin.

Following graduation, Asuman travelled extensively. She studied village life throughout her own country, and lived abroad to experience other cultures first hand. Asuman researched most major art museums in Europe and North America. She has dual citizenship and is has maintained an active membership in the Federation of Canadian Artists and Oakville Art Society. Her exhibitions continue to take her to many of the larger cities in Turkey, Europe and North America.

Asuman married another Turkish artist, Atanur Dogan in 1987, while still at university. They have two boys, Atas, born in 1990 and Ata, born in 1997. After university, Asuman taught art for five year at the high school level and most recently at the American private school in Izmir. She and her husband own and operate the Dogan Art Gallery in Karatas, Izmir, where examples of their paintings and sculpture are exhibited. Her work enriches many Turkish and foreign collections around the world.

In September 2008, the Dogan family relocated to Oakville, Ontario. While their eldest son attends the Media Arts program at Sheridan College, the couple intends to continue to create their watercolor art and to become involved in the art society of eastern and central Canada.