Hi. I’m Chistam.
Well my real name is …
it actually doesn’t matter. In the art world, I’m Chistam.

I was born on September 16th, 1995, and for as long as I can remember, art has been the quiet pulse beneath everything I touched. Yet for many years, I was so afraid of the phrase “starving artist” that I tried to build my life around safer paths and plans. Started with the architecture school in Budapest, tried 2D animation, but to monetize it I ended up doing motion graphics. I worked as graphic/ motion designer, packaging designer and visual creator. I lived very close to art, but not inside it.

(Let’s just say either the world nor my inner world were not aligned with what I truly wanted… Painting…)

Everything changed after I got traumatised with war. Deeply traumatic twelve-day war. A moment of life breaking open. After seeing bunch missiles going off and mushroom head stuff with my family and my closest friend Hediye, I left my country. (Javid Shah)

And then…

Painting was no longer a hobby, or a dream, or a distant version of myself. It became the only way I could continue.
The only way life felt like, life again!

From that moment, Chistam was born.
Chistam in Farsi means “What am I?”
the question that rose from the darkest part of my journey and transformed into the foundation of my hope and art.

Slowly the character of Chistam formed in my day to day life as a survivor, as an artist. So I named myself, Chistam.

Each painting now carries this question within it, inviting the me to paint deeper and viewer to look more, peel back their inner layers, and meet themselves honestly.

What once felt like a personal survival instinct, whether is facing the reality or create hope for myself, has grown into my art’s work.

• My background in architecture gives structure to my compositions (I loved those “Geometrical Construction” courses).

• My years in graphic design and illustration sharpened my eye for storytelling and knowing what works.

• And my lived experiences (the painful, the beautiful, the uncertain) give the pieces their… THING…

Today, I no longer fear becoming the “starving artist.”
Instead, I feel responsible to nurture this path (the only child I will ever have, the one I choose to raise with devotion, discipline, and love.)

I paint meaningfully because that was the promise I made to myself when everything else fell apart.
And now, everything in my life has aligned to let me finally do the work I was always meant to do: ART

It all started with a question: Who am I?

(Read the "My History" section If you want to dive deeper).

For a long time, I tried to find myself by collecting labels. Introvert. Extrovert. Artist. But I noticed that the more I boxed myself into these identities, the more lost I felt. Then it clicked: I already am.

Identity can be both discovered and consciously built:

Identity isn’t just something you inherit; it’s something you consciously build. As humans, we constantly see pieces of ourselves in the outside world (whether we are mirroring someone else's behavior or desiring the beautiful coat they are wearing) We naturally look for our reflection in others.
Initially, I wanted to name my studio Kistam (which means "Who am I?" in Farsi.)

But then i noticed something else, Something even deeper…
Let’s say I’m sitting in a park in a nice day under a tree. Then I observe the wind that moves the tree’s leaves or notice the birds singing and feeding their chicks…
I enjoy that…
Same joy as I have from observing someone else’s beautiful coat,
Same joy that comes from observing someone else’s kindness toward me.
It’s the same
It’s all the same source…
I realized my connection wasn't just to other people. I saw myself in the breeze, the waves, and the song of a bulbul.

So, the question shifted from Who to What.

Chistam /چيستم/ — "What am I?"

I chose Chistam because what we are as beings goes far beyond human labels.

Now, I ask myself "Chistam?" before I begin every single piece of work. It is my creative compass (a reminder to strip away expectations, tap into the universal energy around me, and pour my truest, most alive self into my art.)

All artworks are stamped and signed on the back of the canvas.

All original artwork orders will include a certificate and a note from myself.

All paintings are sealed and varnished to protect the artwork.

Please note I commissioned pieces.

Shipping:

I currently do not offer international shipping.

Domestic orders are carefully prepared and shipped within 3 business days of purchase.