Meet Hande Koçhan | Freelance Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hande Koçhan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hande, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance actually depends on my mood and plans. I can’t say I’ve achieved the right balance yet. I’m still working on this. I think work life balance is more related to correct planning.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to create space-oriented compositions in my illustrations. When I design these places, I am generally inspired by brutalist architecture. In my color palette, blue and pink colors are dominant, contrasting with the buildings. After graduating from stage design, I tried to find my style for about a year. Although it sounds pretty easy, the process was actually difficult. Because the things I drew during my university years were always a kind of escape from the intense tempo of that period, a way of relieving myself. It wasn’t easy to decide and think about what I actually wanted to do after graduation. I think for this, you need to make time for yourself, know what you want and be patient. A year later, in 2019, I met fam° and started running my first professional business with them. I had the chance to participate in various events during the same year and this motivated me even more. I try to take part in projects that I will enjoy working on and that when I look back I will say “I’m glad I did it.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It’s a bit strange but true, most of the places I go to and think “I should bring my friend here, we can have a nice time” are either demolished after a while or replaced by another place. I encounter this situation so often that I created a list like “places that I dried them up” and this list is constantly updated. “Destroy Everything You Touch” by Ladytron fits well into this list. I would probably organize a mini tour for my friend, including the places mentioned in this list.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First of all, I would like to thank my mother, who made me realize the things I loved since my childhood, encouraged me to improve myself, and guided me in this regard. Fam°, which has been a pioneer in helping me reach the point I want in my career, is also of particular importance to me.

Website: behance.net/handekochan

Instagram: instagram.com/bittermum

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/handekochan