For us, the real story isn’t about meeting someone after they’ve made it. It’s about finding them at the very beginning. Ours is a journey rooted in collecting people, in crossing paths with those who move us. Our first encounter with Helin Kandemir was exactly six years ago. She was the youngest member of our Under 25 shoot. Since then, our paths have kept crossing, our hearts beating faster each time, proof that there’s still so much more we’ll create together. Helin’s determination has inspired me from the very first day I met her. Behind turning a journey that began so early into a full-fledged career lies her ability to make her own choices. “Whatever I do, whatever decision I make, what matters to me is that it’s mine. Because only then does my strength to handle it truly grow.” Knowing what you want and standing by it no matter the outcome. Helin is one of those who choose to believe in herself, and in every external force that shaped her into who she is. “My heart never allows me to turn away,” she says, because when you have the courage to fight, you earn the right to succeed.
DUYGU In your own creative journey, what does it mean to be brave?
HELİN To resemble myself. To decide to exist in this industry solely as who I am — outside every expected, desired, or commonly accepted form.
DUYGU Can you share a moment when you created something with no rules, no apologies. One that stuck with you?
HELİN Stepping on stage with zero experience, relying solely on my instincts and the strength of our rehearsal… In an arena where the number of people who believed in me and my performance could be counted on one hand, existing purely through my instincts…
DUYGU How has fear — or the absence of it — shaped the way you express yourself?
HELİN I try not to alienate fear as a negative feeling. When I can’t overcome it, I shift its place, turning it into a force that pushes me forward. After all, the passionate love I have for my journey is greater than all my fears.
HELİN wears a suit by Maison Margiela, Beymen, shirt by Beymen Club, tie by Network and shoes by Atelier Tacon Brooch by Begüm Khan.
DUYGU What’s one risky decision you made for your art that ended up defining your creative voice?
HELİN I love capturing characters I never even knew existed within me. I enjoy staying outside the realms I’m familiar with. Sometimes even forcing myself to do so. When I read something and had no idea what to do with it, I dove straight in. Now, my palette holds dozens of colors..
DUYGU If your creative work could deliver one Brave Monologue to the world, what would it say?
HELİN “All my experiences and emotions revolve around one truth: I don’t run away from being myself. And I’m not afraid of living.”
DUYGU When the world goes quiet, what does your courage tell you?
HELİN It tells me to stand by everything that belongs to my existence — my desires, passions, beliefs, and the country where I was born and raised. I know they all include me, and they are all mine. My heart never allows me to turn away, and even when the consequences of this courage collide with my freedom, I still choose to stay. I choose to believe.
DUYGU When you’re standing at the edge of the unknown, what pushes you forward?
HELİN When I take a step forward or head toward a new station, and the thought crosses my mind that things might not go well there, one sentence always echoes in my head: “At worst, you just won’t manage.” I try to normalize not being able to exist in every field of life, and not tie that to my self-worth. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t. And that’s really not such a bad thing.
“I love capturing characters I never even knew existed within me. I enjoy staying outside the realms I’m familiar with. Sometimes even forcing myself to do so.”
-Helin Kandemir
DUYGU Do you consider yourself brave when it comes to life?
HELİN Yes, I do. My whole story began the moment I packed my suitcase and left, without knowing where I was going. Some realities still hold on to me tightly, but I know I’ll say goodbye to them when the time comes. I’m in no rush, but I’m not giving up either.
DUYGU What does creativity mean to you?
HELİN To feel passion. To have an intense, unmatched passion for what you do. One that no one else can quite feel the same way you do…
DUYGU How does pushing boundaries manifest in your reality?
HELİN If my heart starts racing in front of a door, that very first step I take is already crossing a boundary. We’re all burdened with countless forms and beliefs: our cultures, our families, our habits… All of them make your pulse rise in your throat when you stand before certain doors. But still, despite all those feelings, you take that step. Whether it works out or not, in that moment, the boundaries simply dissolve
DUYGU We all go through times when we are a bit hard on ourselves. When and how did you stop apologizing for yourself and your choices?
HELİN When I realized that living with the consequences of my own mistakes felt far more fulfilling than living by someone else’s truths. Whatever I do, whatever decision I make, what matters to me is that it’s mine. Because only then does my strength to handle it truly grow. Sometimes, you really do have to trust that the version of you back then knew something you didn’t
FROM BASED ISTANBUL N45 10TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE: BRAVE MONOLOGUES
Cover Guest Helin Kandemir Creative Direction & Words byDuygu Bengi Photography by Abdullah Yazıc Styled by Emre Köklüçınar Head of Talent Hair and Makeup Önder Tiryaki Creative Group Head Yağız Yeşilkaya ProducerTunga Yankı Tan Creative Production by BI Creative Special Thanks to Cansu Sıtacı Creative TeamDuru Ustaoğlu, Kerem Acar Hair TeamBatuhan Sancar, Enes Sakızcı, Mustafa Akgül Make-Up TeamDoğukan Tuncer, Esra Poyraz, Hazar Baştürk Gaffer Onur Karaca Photography Assistants Hakan Diner, Hamza Kazım Esen Styling Assistants Elif Akpunar, Şimal Özyiğit Editorial Brews by Starbucks Türkiye Bites byFocamia
