Studio Kōlea by Ezgi Iraz

Ezgi Iraz is a Turkish-American visual artist, storyteller, Sufi mother, immigrant, creative director, survivor, activist, and the founder of Studio Kōlea. Based in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, her multidisciplinary practice explores rest as an absolute birthright for women within systems built on women’s selfless labor. Her contemporary fine art beautifully interweaves her Turkish heritage—vibrant Ottoman Islamic motifs, rugs, and traditional ceramics—with her daily life in Hawaiʻi and an appreciation for the local muʻumuʻu community. Grounded in her Sufi values, she paints quiet, sacred moments of rest to inspire collective healing.

Before her fine art practice, Ezgi was an award-winning creative art director in Europe, studying in Milan and serving as a Creative Art Director at LEGO’s global headquarters in Denmark, where she championed global representation for children of color. Today, she uses her creative platform to drive systemic change, partnering with the local grassroots organization Survivors Collective to sponsor survivor-centered legislation and community mutual aid.