Ayşe Gülcan Özbalak graduated from Istanbul University, Department of Arabic Language and Literature in 1987. She started her illumination education in 1986 at the Islamic Civilisation Foundation as a student of Nilüfer Kurfeyz and completed her education in 1988 with a certificate of completion from the Ministry of Culture.

In 2019, Özbalak, who completed her master's degree in Illumination at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University, examined the Qur'ans numbered Fazıl Ahmed Pasha 2 and Sultan Ahmed 1 in the Süleymaniye Library in terms of illumination art.

The artist, who has participated in many exhibitions, has also organised exhibitions with her students. She is still on the list of artists of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and gives illumination art classes in four different groups at Mustafa Çelebi Art Workshop three days a week.