be(n)lik, kapanmış bir defter (a closed conversation), 2024
“be(n)lik, kapanmis bir defter (a closed conversation” (2024), is an installation consisting of a 106 metre long braided rope alongside a conceptual recreation of a traditional Cypriot woven chair. the title, including a play on the Turkish words ‘plait’ (belik) and ‘my essence’ (benlik), is also an homage to ideas of closed practices in witchcraft and the occult where you are allowed to take part in their craft if you were born into the community; embodying the sacred and intimate conversations i’ve opened up with myself through the process of braiding, and therefore not allowing a space for the discussions of others to take place but my own.
layered with an amalgamation of thoughts, actions and processes, the installation comes together from my perception of invisible women’s craft, textiles and weaving as a tool for creation, communication, personal exploration and connectedness to cultural heritage. the traditionally significant patterns i have chosen and individually hand painted onto the muslin are patterns i’ve grown up with, and commonly found in Cypriot weavings of Fythkiotika and Lefkara works; designs which represent the rich craft heritage of Cyprus and have emerged as women used their skills to merge influences left behind from settlers on the island to create signature patterns, later introducing them to the rest of the world.
while researching the origins of women’s craft in Cyprus has allowed me to feel a connectedness to my home, it has also unveiled the link between craft and the social pressures of women being a ‘homemaker’; showcasing further the ideas that have been woven into us since early childhood by brainwashing through family, politics, and social systems. i’ve found myself being unable to ignore the influences of far right political and social issues, and spent a lot of time evaluating the constraints that craft can impose when politicised. having an aim to create sculptural forms by purposefully using materials used to oppress women by deeming them as ‘feminine’ and stripping the characteristics of fibre down to gender, i found a chance to reclaim the fabric and textiles i work with through my repetitive act of braiding. along with incorporating embroidery patterns from generations of Cypriot women, the fabrics within my plaited rope include my thoughts i have written during the sacred process of braiding. although driven by an act of reclamation and resistance, i've also come to realise i was subconsciously practising forms of self-censorship by weaving every pattern and text into the braid, hiding away anything i deemed vulnerable.
while paying homage to craftswomen and the ways their creativity and self made designs has fostered the cultural heritage of Cyprus along with recreating items that represent my identity, my journey of braiding has been an important introspective process to aid myself in overcoming social boundaries and narratives placed on myself through materials and practices i have safely reclaimed.
layered with an amalgamation of thoughts, actions and processes, the installation comes together from my perception of invisible women’s craft, textiles and weaving as a tool for creation, communication, personal exploration and connectedness to cultural heritage. the traditionally significant patterns i have chosen and individually hand painted onto the muslin are patterns i’ve grown up with, and commonly found in Cypriot weavings of Fythkiotika and Lefkara works; designs which represent the rich craft heritage of Cyprus and have emerged as women used their skills to merge influences left behind from settlers on the island to create signature patterns, later introducing them to the rest of the world.
while researching the origins of women’s craft in Cyprus has allowed me to feel a connectedness to my home, it has also unveiled the link between craft and the social pressures of women being a ‘homemaker’; showcasing further the ideas that have been woven into us since early childhood by brainwashing through family, politics, and social systems. i’ve found myself being unable to ignore the influences of far right political and social issues, and spent a lot of time evaluating the constraints that craft can impose when politicised. having an aim to create sculptural forms by purposefully using materials used to oppress women by deeming them as ‘feminine’ and stripping the characteristics of fibre down to gender, i found a chance to reclaim the fabric and textiles i work with through my repetitive act of braiding. along with incorporating embroidery patterns from generations of Cypriot women, the fabrics within my plaited rope include my thoughts i have written during the sacred process of braiding. although driven by an act of reclamation and resistance, i've also come to realise i was subconsciously practising forms of self-censorship by weaving every pattern and text into the braid, hiding away anything i deemed vulnerable.
while paying homage to craftswomen and the ways their creativity and self made designs has fostered the cultural heritage of Cyprus along with recreating items that represent my identity, my journey of braiding has been an important introspective process to aid myself in overcoming social boundaries and narratives placed on myself through materials and practices i have safely reclaimed.