"art beautifies, increases the feeling of authenticity and connects people emotionally."
N: Weaving is a very old tradition that belongs to our culture. It even belongs to the 3rd century BC. It has a story stretching from Central Asia to Anatolia. The "Pazırık" rug is also known as the world's first rug.
F: Pazırık rug and the first fabric found in Çatalhöyük are attributed to the Turks. Carpet and rug; it is an indispensable material in our lives, laid on the ground, stepped on, hung on walls. So is fabric; we wear, wrap, sit and another important factor that has become a part of our lives. The two are similar, but the weaving techniques are different. Both come out of these lands and ourselves. Even the name of the rug (kilim) in the world; "kilim".
It has aspects that are good for us both physiologically and emotionally. What I have assigned myself a task is saying: “Guys, you have always seen this (carpet, rug, fabric) until today, but this is also a work of art”. When we say a work of art, we always feel like it is something very high, far from public. Today, this perception has changed so much… The picture has come out of the gallery and has come to walls. Dance has gotten off the stage and came to the streets. Because art beautifies, increases the feeling of authenticity and connects people emotionally. Many people think that they will make bags, carpets, rugs when they come to meet me. When they come to me, I only teach them how to weave. They leave with nothing in their hands. Actually, the process is important, what we do during that process and how we establish dialogue with ourselves is important. Our happiest states arise when we achieve peace and balance within us.
"meeting with the essence is very valuable."
N: Many arts belonging to Turkish traditions have sunk into oblivion. What you do is so precious… Do you consider weaving as your entrust?
F: You said that so well... I did not describe it, but I’ll now put what you said in my pocket for the future. The more people that remember it, the more beautiful it will be. Actually, I weave like everyone else. I weave like an Anatolian. Meeting the essence is very valuable. The rootless tree withers. The more you’re connected to your roots, the greener you grow. Connecting things connects me to the world. This is my way of saying, "Notice me, I'm here."
N: The weaving culture does not receive the value it deserves. Do our people not prefer to weave because they cannot find the value of their labor?
F: Unfortunately, we are so used to consuming. A woman who creates a pattern of lace while sitting at home, knitting and chatting with her neighbour would be considered an artist in other countries. Because we are so in this culture, we are not aware of this value.
“in fact, we are all one thread lined side by side. We are so connected to each other. "
N: You combine the threads and chemistry. You form a whole from parts. Like everything else on the universe. So what is the journey of weaving and fabric?
F: In all beliefs in the world, weaving is equal to witchcraft. The first people think that the universe is created on the mother spider's web. Everything in the universe is on that mother spider's web and is interconnected. Today we remembered again that; we are connected to each other by invisible bonds. There are also three Goddesses of fate in ancient Greece: One of them knits the human thread when they are born, the second weaves their fabric throughout their life, and the third cuts their thread. I stayed in Korea for a while. We made measurements of the brain. As I weave, my brain waves grow and spread. Weaving from the bottom to the top strengthens the bond between neurons in the brain. The brain sends good signals to the body. When I think of adventure, there are a lot of animals that produce wool. These threads twist and form a long ribbon as they are tied together. In fact, we are all one thread lined side by side. We are so connected to each other.