LÊLÊLÊ
THE ARTIST BEHIND THE ART
Elu, birth name Rojda, is a multi-disciplinary artist and humanitarian activist versed in traditional skin marking, visual arts and exploring various analog and digital practices.
Embodying art as a gateway of connection amidst borders and boundaries, her artistic work aims to bridge between the ancient and the contemporary.
Within the recent decade her labour shifted to preserving the indigenous tattoo tradition DEQ, which she has, additionally to reviving skin marking tradition, dedicated a documentary (in progress), multiple exhibitions, publications and archival projects to.
Connecting back to land and source as well as community, art as a tool of social change is the earth in her garden. She contributed and organized humanitarian aid fundraisers through art globally, raising nearly 10.000€ over the past 7 years, alongside creating a circular funding project providing free mental wellness sessions to women and LBTQ+ identifying people from the SWANA region.
Being of nomadic origin has led her to collaborate in organizing community events, festivals, exhibitions and workshops globally, with focus on empowering and broadening the representation of BIPOC artists and practitioners in contemporary heterogenous spaces.
Image: Çiler Kiliç
Let's connect!
If you are curious to create together, please reach out.
Wether art, talks & workshops or press - I always welcome to co-create.
Keep up to date here!
deq.ttt
TATTOO YOU
Hardbook Cover 2024
A NEW GENERATION OF ARTISTS
A cutting-edge illustrated survey of 75 contemporary tattoo artists from around the world who are pushing the boundaries of their art form
" Tattooing for Elu is a form of social activism and resistance, emblematic of how her culture and community are very much alive and thriving. "
TEEN VOGUE
Digital Article Feb 2022
Face Tattoos Carry Cultural Significance, Here’s How New Generations Are Continuing the Tradition Despite Stigmas
" Kurdish tattooing, though not as common as it once was, is still practiced by elders. Deq is seeing a renaissance, in part because of Elu’s mission. "
SBS KURDISH RADIO
Digital Article + Audio June 2021
Meet the tattoo artist keeping the traditional Kurdish artform of Xal alive
" However, the once common artform has become less popular over the generations. [She] believes the tradition isn’t completely dead but notes that today’s generation is able to challenge previous barriers. "
JDEED Magazine
Print Issue 8
Redefining culture and beauty
"As artists we have the honor and capacity to manifest the unseen and translate an emotion into a form or shape. Working with symbolism allows us to focus on the essence of a notion and listen to the resonance within."