bio/cv

Deniz Kaptan (b. 2000) is a Turkish-born oil painter based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her work moves between the intimate and the cinematic, often portraying figures caught in motion or indulgence. Having moved from Istanbul to California at eighteen, Kaptan carries a sense of distance and transformation into her practice, creating paintings that find a tether between the personal narrative and the simply human.   

Through a celebratory use of light and gesture, she has developed a distinct visual language that merges the emotive depth of classical painting with the synthetic imagery of contemporary life.

Exhibited in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, and Istanbul, Kaptan’s work continues to reach a wide audience through her online presence as Twinsmoon, where she independently placed her artworks in private collections in 10+ countries across the world as she blends fine art and modern visual culture. 

Solo Exhibitions

  • 2026 · SOLAR, Frontier Tower, San Francisco, CA
  • 2026 · Movement, Frontier Tower, San Francisco, CA
  • 2026 · Chameleon, Brooklyn West Winery, Oakland, CA

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • 2026 · Across Cities, San Francisco Design Center, San Francisco, CA
  • 2026 · SFOS Preview Exhibition, ArtSpan, San Francisco, CA
  • 2026 · Ars et Veritas, VERITAS, San Francisco, CA
  • 2026 · PROOF, GCS Agency, San Francisco, CA
  • 2025 · Elmer, Good Mother Studios, San Francisco, CA
  • 2025 · Open Call Exhibition, Delphian Gallery & Unit 1 Gallery, London, UK
  • 2025 · Self-Portrait Prize Exhibition, Ruth Borchard Gallery, London, UK
  • 2025 · Sonder, The Vendue, Charleston, SC
  • 2024 · Showstopper, KnK Contemporary, San Francisco, CA
  • 2024 · Just Another June, Root Division, San Francisco, CA
  • 2023 · Dream Machine, Future Factory, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2023 · Blackout, The Holy Art Gallery, London, UK
  • 2023 · Deja Vu, Gallery Garage, San Francisco, CA
  • 2020 · Merhaba, Lessart Studio, Istanbul, Türkiye

Recognition

  • 2026 · Guide Art Finalist, San Francisco Open Studios, ArtSpan, San Francisco, CA
  • 2025 · Shortlist, Open Call, Delphian Gallery, London, UK
  • 2025 · Longlist, Self-Portrait Prize, Ruth Borchard Collection, London, UK
  • 2025 · Honorable Mention and Certificate of Excellence, Identity in the Modern World, New York Art Competitions

Publications

  • 2026 · Rubén Palma, “Deniz Kaptan on Devotion, Reinvention and the Art of Being Seen,” OVERSTANDARD, August 9 (interview)

Collections

  • Private collections in more than 10 countries