Handle with Care

My practice involves reimagining traditional practices and crafts into contemporary design. Creating experience through tactility, using both textile and publication design, has been a desire of mine. Primarily focusing on my personal heritage, my Kilim Reimagination project deconstructs the traditional Turkish Kilim rug into a psychedelic shaggy centrepiece. This is reflective of Anatolian Rock, a genre of music that blends Turkish folk with psychedelic rock. I was inspired by one of the pioneers of the genre, Erkin Koray, who pushed the boundaries of music by adding an electrical pick-up to a Turkish folk instrument (elektro bağlama). This music can be found playing alongside the rug in my installation, engaging all senses in experiencing the blur of tradition, culture and the modern world. Faig Ahmed’s distorted Persian rug artworks were an initial inspiration for this project. I aimed to expand on his work and the idea of tradition by challenging the very way the Kilim is constructed. I abandoned the conventional flat-weaving technique and adopted a latch-hooking method, resulting in the contemporary interpretation of the Turkish Kilim before you.

https://www.instagram.com/doodtul/?hl=ur
https://www.betulkyrk.com

Photo credit: Betul Kuyruk