Eylem Erdem Uğurlu

Hello,
I am glad you are here and curious about my journey.

I was born in 1978 in Mardin, a city where numerous cultures, languages, and faiths intertwine. My father was a teacher of Turkish Language and Literature, and my mother was an accounting teacher. When I was two years old, my father was arrested for political reasons and remained in Diyarbakır Prison for a year. This early experience of injustice deeply influenced my stance on standing by the truth and raising my voice against silence.

We moved to Istanbul in 1981. The sexual abuse I experienced during my childhood condemned me to silence for many years. Over time, this silence transformed into the primary motivation behind my speaking, singing, and writing. For me, art is not merely an aesthetic expression; it has become a way of healing, speaking the truth, and building connections.

Music has been my most natural form of expression since childhood. Following the choirs I participated in during my years at Çapa Primary School, Fındıkzade Middle School, and Şehremini High School, I experienced the power of collective voice and cultural memory in the Turkish Folklore Association Choir and the Ruhi Su Friends Choir. At the same time, writing was an indispensable part of my life; I established my existence through poems, lyrics, and texts.

My educational life led me down a different path for a while. I graduated at the top of my class from the Department of Economics-Econometrics at Marmara University and completed my master's degree in Capital Markets and Stock Exchange. After working in banking and market research for some time, I realized that a life without art did not fulfill me. In 2003, I enrolled in the Turkish Music State Conservatory at Istanbul Technical University and graduated in 2008, ranking third in my department.

Aynı yıl anne oldum. Çocuğum 10 günlük iken yaşadığımız büyük bir yangından mucizevi şekilde kurtulmamız, hayatımın yönünü kökten değiştirdi. Mezun olduğum konservatuvarda doktora programına başlayıp akademik kariyer yapmak yerine anneliği ve içsel bir yolculuğu seçtim. Oğlum beş yaşındayken başladığım terapi süreci, çocukluk travmalarımla yüzleşmemi ve sanat yoluyla iyileşmeye yönelmemi sağladı. Bu süreç, beni çocukları korumaya, kadınların ve çocukların sesini duyurmaya odaklanan bir sanatsal ve toplumsal duruşa taşıdı.

In 2015, the caravan journeys we embarked on with my family, spanning more than 40 countries, deepened my perspective on the world. This experience became a powerful source of inspiration for my music and storytelling.

In 2017, my daughter was born, and the inner journey that began with my son accelerated thanks to her. My children have both been the source of inspiration for my artistic creations and the primary reason for my desire to leave a voice for the future…

My debut single in 2019 “Annem” was released. My subsequent songs and "Yola Çıkmak" (Setting Out) released in 2021 album, became the musical narratives of my personal healing process. In 2024, my second album "Boşluk" (The Void) was released. My seven-album "Journey" project, I continue to work. My first children's book "Yola Çıkmak (Setting Out) (Nesin Yayınları/Nesin Publishing)”, went into its second printing in 2023.

My talk at TEDx Izmir Women "Suçum Yok" (I Am Not Guilty) became one of the significant milestones of my work on child abuse and social empathy. My music has been featured in humanitarian aid campaigns and projects conducted for women and children.

In 2020, together with my husband, we founded the independent arts platform Yolcu Sanat (Traveler Art) kurduk. Bugün müzik, edebiyat ve savunuculuğu bir araya getiren üretimlerimi bu çatı altında sürdürüyorum. Üniversiteler, kültür kurumları ve sivil toplum kuruluşlarında konuk sanatçı ve konuşmacı olarak yer alıyor; sanatın iyileştirici gücünü özellikle travma yaşamış kadınlar ve çocuklarla paylaşmayı sorumluluk olarak görüyorum. Bu çalışmalarım 2024’te "Lifelong Learning Award"in 2024, and the "Role Model of the Year" and "Artist of Hope" awards in 2025.

I continue my work to expand the language of healing, resilience, and connection through art on an international scale, to publish my children's books in English, and to create workshops and interdisciplinary projects.

Every song I write and every text I compose is rooted in this belief:

Art can repair what silence has destroyed.

I am a traveler on this journey from silence to speech, and from pain to creation. What began as a personal story has now transformed into a collective journey. Thank you for being my fellow traveler.