About Me
Artist Statement
The canvas becomes my performance space. Through dreams, waking visions, and emotions, the brush strokes have a movement of their own. Sometimes my paintings foretell the future or a trending news event I know nothing about in physical reality. Because of my extensive practice in performance, poetry, and healing arts for more than four decades, I easily access the connection between my outer and inner worlds.
Biography
Ahu is a multi-disciplinary artist performing and exhibiting internationally as an actress, singer, performance artist, sculptor, poet, dancer, and painter.
Ahu’s painting career started later in life. She exhibited in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2018, and in the summer of 2022, she exhibited at Dar Souiri in Essaouira, Morocco. Expect to see an exhibition accompanied by an art book titled, “Women Who Changed my Face” from the Series of the same name in 2025.
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Ahu lived and worked in New York City for 12 years after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She gained much acclaim through her starring appearances (under the name Terri Susan Smith) in the cult classic Basket Case, – which subsequently was inducted into MOMA’s film library –, and the avant-garde films The Feast, Stuck On You, and Last Beer on Earth filmed in Paris, France.
In 2011, Ahu served as Artistic Director for the Mendocino Dance Collective’s Soulful Remembrance performance art piece. Her work as an actress and director for the Mendocino Theatre Company in 2012 was the most popular and financially successful of that year. Ahu can be seen on the hit web series, “Sundays the Series” in which she plays the role of Lillian.
From 2014 to 2020 Ahu lived in Sweden where she published a poetry collection titled, “Take It In”, inspired by a year of living in Morocco (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble Books, and Ingram). Interviewed by Swedens’ författaren magazine for their summer 2018 issue and reading at the release was a great privilege.
She is regularly invited to poetry readings around Stockholm. Her second collection of poetry titled, “abstract romance,’ was published in May of 2022. Her voice is heard in local commercials and Sisters of Jam's ongoing film production and dialog about Kate Millett and her farm.
Ahu currently resides in Morocco.
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