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Yiğit Özen, born in Istanbul in 1994, researches and creates at the intersection of art, architecture, and technology. His journey started at Saint Joseph French High School in Istanbul, followed by a degree in Architecture from Istanbul Bilgi University in 2017. He further advanced his expertise with a master's in Architectural and Urban Design at Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 2021.

During or after completing his formal education, Özen applied his technical skills and creative insight in various roles as an architect and consultant in offices and startups from 2015 to 2021.

Working under the alias decentralize*, since 2017 he has been engaging with physical and digital mediums to experiment with form and color. His art explores imaginative takes on contemporary or dystopian themes, while his photography plays with concepts of speed, time, and abstract proportions.

In 2021, he founded DFW, a design practice aimed at exploring the potential of virtual design in our daily lives. Through DFW, Özen focuses on architecture, design, fashion, and experiential projects, seeking to minimally define space and objects within a gravity-less, material-less virtual environment. His work in virtual architecture and design has earned recognition in various competitions, notably for inventing a Virtual Theater experience in the browser and securing a first-place win at RedDAO with C2W, a 16-avatar collection.

In 2023, he introduced a digital gallery to showcase his artworks produced over seven years, offering a space where his interests in art, architecture, and technology converge. This project serves as a notable intersection between his alias decentralize* and his work with DFW, showcasing his ability to merge these disciplines in innovative ways. Özen has also contributed as a mentor of Metaverse Architecture at the VCA Residency and as a keynote speaker at the Digital Fashion Summit hosted by Creative Denmark.

Özen's career reflects his ongoing exploration of the intersections between virtual and physical realms, demonstrating his dedication to advancing the fields of art, design and architecture.

AWARDS / MENTIONS 
Creatorverse Buildathon by Parcel x PangeaDAO, Music Venue, 2022, Winner
Creatorverse Buildathon by Parcel x PangeaDAO, Meeting Space, 2022, Runner-Up
Grant Program by EnterDAO’s Landworks, Fashion Venue, 2022, Winner
Grant Program by EnterDAO’s Landworks, Headquarters, 2022, Winner
Top 50 Creators of Metaverse by Metamundo, 2023
CryptoCubes by Han, 2023, Runner-Up
VCA x Draup Virtual Fashion Residency 1st Prize, selected by RedDAO, 2023
MONA 3D Objects Buildathon, Center Pieces, 2024, Honorable Mention

TALKS 
Virtual Show & Tell at Hyperfy, Hosted by untitled, xyz- 2023
VCA Mentorship, 6th Cohort, Architecture in the Metaverse - 2023
Opening Keynote, Digital Fashion Summit, Lifestyle Design Cluster, Creative Denmark -2024

EXHIBITIONS 
Power of the Nature @ Fabbrica Del  Vapore, Milano / ITA - 2019
The Art's Special Projects @ Fabbrica Del  Vapore, Milano / ITA - 2019
Communitas III: Digital Community by Kollektiv Kollektiv @ Kunsthaus Steffisburg / CH - 2021
New Freedom Think @ Mads Gallery, , Milano / ITA - 2022
Art Design @ Holy Art Gallery, London / UK - 2022
Klein Metaverse Event @  BabylonsNFT, Yacthingverse - 2022
DYOR @ Kunsthalle Zürich, Zurich/ CH -  2022
Creators of the Metaverse by Metamundo @ Art Basel Miami, Miami / USA - 2022
FIRST LOOK METAVERSE WATCH PARTY @MONA -2023
KODA by Polkadot @ Factory Berlin, Berlin / GER - 2023 
New Codes Exhibition by VCA, Draup, Mad Global @ Royal Institution, London / UK - 2023

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