He was born on October 21, 1955, in Moda, Istanbul. He completed his primary, secondary, and high school education at Galatasaray High School. He studied economics for one year in Grenoble, France. Afterwards, he returned to Turkey and enrolled in the Department of Graphic Arts at Mimar Sinan University (D.G.S.A.).
 

During his academic years, he deepened his interest in classical, jazz, and rock guitar—an interest that had begun during high school and participated in various concerts and recitals. He composed the music for the plays "The Man Outside" by Wolfgang Borchert and "The Measures Taken" by Bertolt Brecht, staged by the university’s theater club in 1979 and 1980, including performances at the METU Theater Festival. He also performed these compositions live with musical ensembles formed with fellow students.
 

In 1983, he graduated with a master’s degree, receiving the Award of Academic Excellence. Until the early 1990s, he worked as a freelance graphic designer and continued his involvement in music. He appeared as a guest artist on several jazz albums (such as Önder Focan’s “Sekiz”) and live performances. Eventually, he abandoned graphic design completely and focused solely on painting. Before ever holding an exhibition, he was awarded first prize in the 1999 Turkcell Painting Competition for his work titled “Hermetic Contact.”
 

In addition to painting and music, he developed a strong interest in spiritualism, esotericism, and philosophy. As a member of the Metapsychic Investigations and Scientific Research Society (MTİAD), he gave lectures, hosted radio programs (Meta FM – 105.6), and translated numerous books into Turkish. Among them was Plotinus’ Enneads, published by Ruh ve Madde Yayınları in November 2008, which also had a significant influence on his later works.
 

In his early paintings, he used fantastical and surreal compositions, sometimes incorporating elements of photorealism enabled by his technical proficiency. However, driven by a desire to express metaphysical realities, he eventually turned to abstract painting, which he saw as the most suitable means of expression. After his third solo exhibition—where he presented both styles side by side—he entered a new period of exclusively producing geometric abstract works, beginning with his fourth exhibition titled “Kinesis” (movement, motion, dynamic force), which he described as “an attempt to penetrate the essence of universal motion.” His works from 2006 and 2007 garnered wide acclaim.
 

From 2001 to 2012, he held 19 solo exhibitions and participated in many group shows up until the end of 2014. His works have been included in both private and institutional collections.
 

At the beginning of 2015, he paused painting. During this period, he used social media to share documentary evidence and expose the true nature of those who had attempted to destroy his reputation in the art world through defamation, manipulative narratives, and suggestion-based smear campaigns. Targeting a segment of the art audience that had chosen to live by prejudice and falsehood, he shared both his own works and informative references to the century-old history of geometric abstract art.
 

In 2022, he resumed creating new works. For two years, he employed different techniques and materials. As of 2024, he returned to working with acrylic on canvas—this time completely eliminating the use of airbrush tools.
 

ARTISTIC VISION
 

Not being trained in traditional academic painting, he feels entirely free in his compositions and technique. However, he firmly rejects randomness, carelessness, and mental confusion in art. He prioritizes aesthetic values and executes his works with a perfectionist mindset and refined technique. The theory of Ideas by Plato and the teachings of Plotinus (Neoplatonism) have had a strong influence on his recent works.

According to Özden, an artist must liberate themselves from the allure of materiality and turn toward the sublime principles and laws inherent in the cosmos. To the extent that they internalize these truths, they must convey them to society through their work. For this reason, he coined the term “Contemplationism” to define his own artistic approach. Since no single word in Turkish captures the essence of this concept, he derived it from the French word “contemplation.” It refers to “immersing oneself in the inner world, observing the essence, and contemplating with the spiritual eye.”
 

AWARD
 

• 1999 TURKCELL Painting Competition – First Prize