Meet Mehtap McClane | Designer & Artist

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

Hi Mehtap, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Im not sure I really think about risk, I live to follow my dreams. It’s only people around me that tell me I am crazy, I took a risk. 8 years ago I left everything behind to try and learn English. I didn’t know where this was going but something inside me led me on. I left my country, my home, my career, my family and my friends. I couldn’t even order a coffee when I landed in England. I just wanted to do it, to grow, to learn.
I changed everything for something I wanted to do, to me it made sense and perhaps it wasn’t a risk at all. I am sat here now a British Citizen, having gone step by step through every stage of the business visa process by myself. I didn’t even use a lawyer, which on reflection is a huge achievement, if you had seen all the paperwork I had to complete. I need to acknowledge those of you out there that gave me advice around this, thank you, you know who you are.
So what others think is a risk just doesn’t seem that way to me, I need to do what I need to do. I always trusted myself that it would be ok. It wasn’t easy but I did it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

It was an extraordinary experience to realize that dreams already exist in our lives. Different shapes, different forms, all jump out from our minds and hide somewhere between us and the real world. I believe that the mystery of human existence lies not just in staying alive, but also in finding these “dreams”. I found one in a fish form while it was swimming on the moon. I carefully watched it for days and when I felt ready I caught it. Sounds funny, right? But that fish led me to the United Kingdom to fulfil my dreams. And here I am! Now, my dreams are finally given form. ‘Moonfish,’ my brand name, is my personal reflection as an artist and designer.

Everything that was a dream became real, I illustrated stories for a literature magazine, also book covers, I’ve joined local art exhibitions, art markets, but my main profession has been graphic design. Art is my passion.

I also have a deep love for nature. Feeling connected to it and being amazed by nature is beautiful. Everything has its own sound, and listening to them is like music; together, we harmonize and create new sounds!

So I used to work as an art director for a multinational advertising agency, but now I am freelance. It’s challenging and there have been some tears. You need to understand that you are everything, the creator, business manager, accountant and every other aspect of your business. You need to be flexible and be open to expanding what you think you can do.

Keep going, be close to nature and be kind.
Now I have a son who takes up a lot of my time, 17 months old is a busy time, but its changed me, I feel a new creative energy inside me and its just going to explode soon!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For starters that’s an exciting idea, if my close friend was with me for the week we would have such a good time. Brighton is such a colourful place, literally and in its feel. I would take her to the Laines to look at all the shops, soak up the atmosphere and then to My Coffee Story in Kemptown. I have so many happy memories of that place, the swings, the people and memories of show casing my art there. I would make sure she had a coffee and one of my Turkish favourites, spinach Borek. For live music, Green Door Store would be amazing. The next day I would walk her along the beach, under the cliffs and to the Laughing Dog Cafe where I would insist she had the chocolate brownie. We would venture off to Hove, to St Barnabas Church where I married and we would take in the full size reproduction of Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”, a really surprising find and more like the original when first painted. We would go and explore the countryside at Kingston and the Seven Sisters, two really beautiful and peaceful places. Obviously we would take a trip to London, first Borough Market for street food. We would tour the museums and galleries, a highlight is always the Victoria and Albert Museum, followed by a visit to Somerset House, which contains some amazing art, the building is so grand its worth going just to see. I would treat her to a cup of tea and another brownie there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Moving from the countryside to a big city wasn’t fun when I was child. Everything looked too big and less green.

My father was a teacher, we moved to Istanbul when I was little for the “kids future” so my dad said to my mum. After I finished high school, I just wanted to study art. My Dad took me to a fine art university and we stood in front of one of the lecturers, both of us shy and fearful, but my Dad held my hand tightly asked “What do we need to do for my daughter to study art?” I will never forget him being there holding my hand, just two people from a tiny village in the big city. We learned I needed to go to art course then take an exam. My mum started a job to support my studies. I was drawing all day and night to pass the entrance exams. I passed and it was the beginning of my journey as an artist and designer.

Now I have my own brand, my family is still next to me, joined now by friends, my husband and my son. I have had some help along the way and I am grateful to everyone, I even got my husband up some ladders installing signs!! What I am trying to say here is that every journey is yours to make, but its hard to go alone, from my early years in a village I never dreamed of what the future would hold, but my family and friends around me, with me, have given the support, encouragement and time to be what that little girl holding her fathers hand wanted to be.

Instagram: mehtapmcclane

Linkedin: Mehtap McClane