Statement

For me, photography is a hunt. My ultimate goals are to communicate my experiences with images and to capture dramatic scenes of daily life. Over time, my interests have evolved from straightforward journalistic and travel photography to street photography with a contemporary angle.

Biography

Mustafa was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. In 1995, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul. He worked as a photo editor and photographer for major Turkish publication for several years before transitioning to freelance photography in 2000.

His work has been showcased in such Turkish and international publications as The New York Times, Vogue, GQ, Esquire, Forbes, InStyle, FHM, Hurriyet, Cosmopolitan, Skylife, The L Magazine and The Independent.

Mustafa’s fine art photography has been exhibited in solo and group shows as well as auctions in New York, Istanbul, San Francisco, London, Beijing, Geneva and other international cities. Many of his photos and photo series have received awards in such international photo competitions as IPA (International Photography Awards), Renaissance Photography Prize and Px3 (Prix De La Photographie Paris)

In addition to his documentary and fine art work, he serves as an artist educator for Joy of Giving Something Foundation’s Changing Lenses project in New York City public schools.

Mustafa is currently based in Brooklyn, New York.