An Artist in Istanbul

If there was one special event that I experience in Istanbul it was the meeting of an Artist called Auni in a dodgy corner street in Istanbul.

The old gang from Plovdiv reunited in Istanbul and we all moved into Sopha hostel and that was when Etan voiced out this magical place. Down a street where no car pass on a slope which looks like a backstreet were run down huts some with the roof semi fallen or missing and doors along both sides that look like it leads to unfinished or forgotten buildings. It was dark the first day we entered but in the morning it was an alley for an antique/art/junk heaven.

Auni Studio in Turkey

Etan usher us into this narrow alley about a meter wide and a few pace later it opened up into a large studio filled with paintings over painting. The artist was Auni ….. always cheerful and high in a sense or drunk in the passionate feeling of chakra …. I fell into a deep love with a chair which became mine every night for the next few nights thst I was in Istanbul

Auni good friend Mahmud who we later found out runs an antique junk shop two doors down joined us soon later. We got fed with so much whiskey (not sure if it was Turkish) which I abstained from luckily and chatted in barely understanding each other … the two Turkish guy had limited English vocab but feeling spoke more than words in that studio. It was a conversation of feeling and emotions.

Auni Studio in Turkey

The first day in Auni studio and we all stayed up till about 2pm before me and Yebba had to head back to our hostel. Auni insisited that we stay at his place instead …. About 200 meters from the studio which looks like another shack of a studio. He even showed us the place and we all said yea sure … tomorrow. Auni the next day … and we send off Etan on his life journey in Kenya. The group was down to 3 now … me Ecila and Yebba but that night we were in for a surprise.

Auni - Left

The second night once we arrived in the evening there it was kebab cooked by Mahmud served with chilli peppers, tomato and finished with Rakia. The real Turkish Kebab as Mahmud called it and not those they sell to passing by tourist. Rakia on the other hand was something like a local Vodka or Baiju and it is not to be mess with. We shifting and staying at Auni’s spare studio never happened as the girls feels he was quite a wreck when drunk.

The kebab I stayed away since it was beef and so did Yebba since she was vegetarian but as the night pass and more Rakia was smashed by Auni and Mahmud, it was clear why alcohol can be seen as the root of evil in this part of the world.

I have always been the touch stone I guess … maybe because I am Asian and of course I am the older one. It was time to leave, sure I told them but also made sure to sooth Mahmud and Auni that we will be back tomorrow. While Mahmud was yelling at Auni for his fucking behaviour we gathered our bags …. I pity them and I knew that Ecila had broke Auni heart. All those hugs from a westerner which is unusual by the locals, all the taunting, the smiles, the gifts asked and given I knew Auni really liked her. Few days later Alice even told me that Auni even gave her 100 USD ….. I mentally smack my head !!!

Off to the hostel at midnight and luckily they had rooms … 13 euro a night and I chuck my long procrastinated laundry to the guy ( Dranem ) immediately. We went back to Auni studio every day despite the stunt he tried to pull on Ecila but this time we made a point to leave early before things got out of hand. Time flies and it was soon the day for my flight out to Nepal. I will miss the drama and all the stories I collected hanging around Yebba and Ecila. Yebba more especially.