Culture and Art Program - Symbols in Folk Songs and Ballads

HACETTEPE ÜNİVERSİTESİ
Geleneksel Müzik Kültürü Araştırma ve Uygulama Merkezi
Center for Traditional Musical Culture
(HÜGEM)
Kommission für Volksdichtung (KfV)
International Ballad Commission (IBC)
42. Uluslararası Halk Türküsü Konferansı
“Türkülerde ve Baladlarda Semboller”
42nd International Ballad Conference
“Symbols in Folk Songs and Ballads”
7–13 Ekim/ October 2012
Akyaka/Gökova-Muğla, Türkiye
Kültür ve Sanat Programı
Culture and Art Program
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PAZARTESİ / MONDAY, 08/10/2012
10.30–11.00 Musical Performance: Anatolian Sun Quartet/ Anadolu Güneşi
(Conference Opening Program at Karacaoğlan Hall at Yücelen Hotel)
Bağlama: Kemal Bilsel Sarısözen
Violin: Uğur Alpagut
Piano : Erdal Gültekin
Bendir (frame drum): Rıza Akyürek
Repertoire
Evlerinin Önü Mersin
Havada Durna Sesi Gelir
Denize Dalmayınca
Yazımı Kışa Çevirdin
Yemen Türküsü
Başındaki yazmayı da sarıya mı boyadın
Anatolian Sun Quartet
Anatolian Sun is a very well-known international music ensemble which
combines universal instrument techniques and authentic values through modern
arrangements with the local expressions, by the touch of a gentle harmony.
Anatolian Sun reflects the colors of the culture with great mastery, leaves an
exceptional feeling together with a fine musical taste on the audience with the

This song will be performed in memory of Neşet Ertaş who is the greatest folk music master and passed away
on 26th October, 2012.
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combination of Turkish and Western Instruments. One of the most important
features of Anatolian Sun Quartet is creating a synthesis of Turkish folk music
and universal style without distorting authenticity or the essence of local
melodies.
The pieces performed by the group are considered as impressive and elegant
embroidery composed by the virtuosos. Established under the auspices of Abant
İzzet Baysal University in 2003 thanks to the initiative of Professor Uğur
Alpagut and Kemal Bilsel Sarısözen, the Anatolian Sun Quartet combines
authentic music with universal melodies and instruments. Alpagut plays the
violin, Erdal Gültekin the piano and clarinet, Rıza Akyürek the percussion and
Kemal Bilsel Sarısözen the “bağlama,” a type of authentic Turkish instrument.
21.00–22.30 Turkish Folk Music Performance–TRT Folk Music Singers
(Ottoman Residence Hotel by Azmak River)
Turkish Folk Songs from Eastern Anatolia to Rumelia
TRT Folk Musician Mehmet Üçer and Şehrengiz Ensemble
Bağlama: Mehmet Üçer
Lavta, Cümbüş and Vokal: Hasan Demirkıran
(Lute, mandolin with a metal body and vocal)
Kabak Kemane: Tamer Şen
Klarinet: Nuri Yılmaz
Bendir and Darbuka : Çağrı Ulusoy
(Frame drum and Earthenware kettledrum)
Vocal: Betül Toprak
Repertoire
1. Hüseynikten Çıktım (narrative song)
Region: Elazığ/ Source: Hafız Osman Öge
2. Yenice Yolları (love song)
Region: Adana/ Source: Aziz Şenses/ Compiler: Erkan Sürmen
3. Bülbülün Kanadı Sarı (love and separation song)
Region: Diyarbakır/ Source: Celal Güzelses
4. Şemsiyemin Ucu Kare (love and separation song)
Region: Rumeli / Source: Süleyman Çakal/ Compiler: Muzaffer Sarısözen
5. Yarim İstanbul’u Mesken mi Tuttun (love and separation song)
Region: Kayseri/ Source: Ahmet Gazi Ayhan/ Compiler: Ahmet Gazi Ayhan
6. Suya Gider Allı Gelin (love song)
Region: Ankara/ Source: Sadık Ergün/ Compiler: Adnan Şeker
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7. Siyah Zülfün Tellerine (love song)
Region: Şanlı Urfa/ Source: Sakıp Çepik/ Compiler: Muzaffer Sarısözen
8. Araban Gazel (love and longing)
Region: Urfa/ Source: Mukim Tahir Oturan
9. Uzunda Kavak Dalında Sallanıyor (love song)
Region: İzmir/ Source: Ekrem Güyer-Muzaffer Sarısözen
10. Şu Yüce Dağların Karı Eridi (Karacaoğlan, 17th Century Folk Poet)
Region: İçel-Mut/ Source: Musa Eroğlu – TRT-Turkish Radio and Television,
Department of Music
11. Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım (Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu, 20th Century Folk Poet)
Compiler: TRT-Turkish Radio and Television, Department of Music
12. Necibem (love song)
Region: Elazığ/ Source: Sıtkı Demirci/ Compiler: Muzaffer Sarısözen
Mehmet Üçer
Mehmet Üçer was born in Elazığ in 1958. He was interested in Traditional
Anatolian Folk Music and improved himself both by attending to amateur
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musical associations and by taking baglama (instrument with three double
strings) and theoretical lessons from Coşkun Güla, who was specialized in Folk
Music. Soon afterwards, he released an album named “Bağlamada Tezene
Tavırları” (Different Styles in Playing Baglama) with Mr. Güla. He carried out
important studies on Harput music and styles and performance techniques of
unmetered folk songs of Eastern Anatolia. After passing the exam of TRT, he
got his new position in Yurttan Sesler Topluluğu (National Voices Society) as
a qualified performer. He participated in different television and radio
programs within the scope of national and international organizations of TRT
and gave concerts in Germany, USA, Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Hungary,
Romania, Kazakhstan, Syria, and Cyprus.
Mr. Üçer served as conductor and baglama teacher at Hacettepe University and
in TRT Youth Choir between 1994 and 1997 and he also undertook musical
consultancy of periodical programs of “Bergüzar” and “Dem Bu Dem”
broadcasted on TRT televisions. Currently, he continues his memberships of
TRT Repertory Committee and Advisory Committee of Ministry of Culture. At
the same time, Mr. Üçer has master’s degree in economics and he also
continues his service as instrument and vocal artist of Turkish Folk Music at
TRT Ankara Radio as well as continuing his conductorship for different choirs
of other institutions.
Mr. Üçer has been applying his voice training management, which he
developed after longitudinal studies, to HÜGEM (Hacettepe University Center
for Traditional Music Culture) Voice Training Group since April 2012 and he
is also Art Director of HÜGEM Musical Society. Mehmet Üçer, one of the
leading instrument and vocal artist of Turkish Folk Music, was attended to
membership of Hacettepe University Center for Traditional Music Culture –
HÜGEM Advisory Committee in August 2012.
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Şehrengiz Music Ensemble
Şehrengiz is a name given to the city culture of Ottoman Period, to the city
wonders and to the literary works written on the wonders. Şehrengiz Music
Ensemble, enliven the tradition of urban folk music in a distinctive method, is
one of the most important contemporary representatives who have continued to
enforce the tradition of Anatolian Music Culture.
The community has a special place in terms of keeping tradition of making
collective Anatolian Music alive. Unfortunately, the tradition has been going
on losing day by day. Community’s repertoire includes not only the classical
Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian city folk music and widespread folk songs
that enforce en masse but also melodies in respect of unmetered folk songs
such as Gazel, Divan and Hoyrat. This feature is the most distinctive
importance of musical performances of Şehrengiz Music Ensemble.
Mehmet Üçer, TRT Saz Artists, adopting the tradition of Eastern Anatolia and
Southeastern Anatolia collective music-making and adopting the repertoire of
songs located in this tradition, has been carrying on successfully working as
Sehrengiz Artistic Director.
Folk Songs from Muğla and Western Anatolia,
TRT Folk Singer Makbule Kaya and the Folk Musicians
Soloist: Makbule Kaya
Bağlama: Hulki Rıza İpek
(Traditional Turkish stringed instrument)
Bağlama: Çağdaş Akıncı
Wind instruments: Ömer Altuntaş
Keyboard: Mustafa Gökhan Demir
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Ritm instruments: Engin Sucu
Repertoire
1. Ferayi (love and separation song)
Region: Muğla/ Source : Galip Birgili and Raziye Gülten /Compiler : Muzaffer
Sarısözen
2. Kerimoğlu (Zeybek Song/ Heroic Song)
Region: Muğla/ Source: M. Karaosmanoğlu/ Compiler: Hamdi Özbay
3. Ormancı (narrative song)
Region: Muğla/ Source: Kemancı Tahir Usta/ Compiler: Hamdi Özbay
4. Deniz üstü köpürü (love song)
Region: Muğla/ Source: Şerafettin Civelek/ Compiler: Mustafa Hoşsu
5. A bunch of songs from Özay Gönlüm/ and “Nenenin Mektubu”
6. Bir Yayla İsterim Yörük Konmadık (love song)
Region: Denizli/ Source: Özay Gönlüm
7. Mendil Verem mi (love song)
Region: Denizli/ Source: Özay Gönlüm
8. Kezban Yenge (humorous song)
Source: Kadir Turan/ Compiler: Salih Urhan
9. Ümmüm-Cemilem, Damardı, Hopdiri diri (lament, love songs)
Region: Denizli/ Source: Özay Gönlüm
10. Güssüm (love song)
Region: Ege/ Compiler: Özay Gönlüm
11. Hadi Gari Sen de Gel (love and longing)
Lyrics and Composition: Hamit Çine
Ormancı Folk Song: Lyrics and the story
A forest fire breaks out near Gevenes and Kozağaç villages of Muğla (a
province of Turkey) in 1946. Tevfik Cezayir, mukhtar (head of a village) of
Gevenes village, is playing draughts with his friend Mustafa Şahbudak in
Belen Café in the village. In the mean time, Mehmet İn, Ormancı (The
Forester), who is responsible for guarding forests, comes to the café to ask for
help from Tevfik to extinguish the fire. But, mukhtar says that he is not able to
help him in extinguishing the fire since there is no one else. Hereupon,
Ormancı becomes very angry, with effect of alcohol he drank, and breaks the
draughts table down. Mustafa says to Ormancı: “you are drunk, get out of
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here.” Ormancı becomes angrier and kicks the table again. Then they start to
argue and Mustafa slaps in the face of the forester. Ormancı loses his temper
and draws a knife, then wounds Mustafa on his arm. In response, Mustafa
draws his gun and Tevfik slumps down on ground in a pool of blood while
trying to prevent Mustafa from shooting at Ormancı. Mustafa shoots at
Ormancı and wounds his heel and hip. Villagers cool Mustafa off and take
Tevfik to hospital. Despite all efforts, doctors are unable to keep him alive and
he dies of blood lose. Death of Tevfik, a loved mukhtar in his village, leaves
villagers in a great sorrow.
The villagers lament after this tragic event, and Tahir Erdinç, one of the
villagers and a violin player, elegises the folk song Ormancı (The Forester).
Today, this song is usually sung in daily life, weddings and in musical
meetings around Muğla. The Ormancı folk song is a popular song all over the
Turkey, especially in Western Anatolia, and it is sung by many people in many
different environments.
Belen Café, place of this tragic incident, is restored between 2001-2006 by
Hüseyin Aksoy, governor of Muğla and Ormancı fork song and the tragic
incident is kept alive in memories by this way. The Cafe is a symbol in te
cuture of the region. (Mehmet Ali Eren, Öyküleriyle Muğla Türküleri (Muğla
Folk Songs with Their Stories, Muğla, 2003, pp.53-54)
Belen Café
Ormancı
Çıktım Belen kahvesine baktım ovaya
Bay Mustafa çağırdı dama oynamaya
Ormancı da gelir gelmez yıkar masaya
Söz anlamaz ormancı çekmiş kafaya
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Aman Ormancı canım Ormancı
Köyümüze bıraktın yoktan bir acı
Gevenes’in suları hoştur içmeye
İçinde köprüsü var gelip geçmeye
Yiğitleri vurdular hiç mi hiçine
Yazık ettin Ormancı köyün iki genci
Aman Ormancı canım Ormancı
Köyümüze bıraktın yoktan bir acı
Gevenes’in ortasında değirmen döner
Değirmenin suları dağından iner
Ormancıya atılan kurşun Tevfiğe değer
Tevfiğimin acıları yürekler deler
Aman Ormancı canım Ormancı
Köyümüze bıraktın yoktan bir acı
Forester
I rode up to Belen Café and watched the plain
Mr. Mustafa asked me to play draughts with him
Ormancı breaks the table down as soon as he comes
He is drunk and listens to no one
Oh! Ormancı dear Ormancı
You left the village in great sorrow
Water in Gevenes is good to drink
Water in Gevenes is good to drink
There is a bridge in it to cross
Heros were shoot for nothing
You ruined lives of two youngsters of the village
Oh! Ormancı dear Ormancı
You left the village in great sorrow
There is a mill in the middle of our village
And water for it, comes from the mountains
The gun drawn for Ormancı, kills Tevfik
Death of Tevfik hurts so bad in my heart
Oh! Ormancı dear Ormancı
You left the village in great sorrow
Ferayi Folk Song: Lyrics in Turkish and the Story
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İlyas is son of Yakup Bey, a bey (tribal chief) from Menteşe Region, and like
to hunt in mountains. One day, while hunting in Marçal Mountains around
Muğla, he sees a Turkmenian girl with an outstanding beauty. It is known that
yoruks (nomads) live in plateaus in summer and in plains in winter. İlyas Bey
is stumped with the beauty of this Turkmenian girl and asks her name:
-What is your name?
- Ferayi from Turkmenian nomad group.
-So, what are you doing here in wild?
-I am shepherding my sheep and goats. You?
- Me? I have been hunting here and; my fortune brought you to me.
İlyas fell in love with the girl at that moment and the girl and Ferayi also fell in
love with him... İlyas does not want to miss his opportunity and proposes
marriage to the girl on the very spot. The girl coquettishly says: “I don’t know
what my mother and father will say.”
İlyas takes courage from her words and gets his mother in no time flat and
explains the situation to her. Then his mother says: “Son, we have a tradition;
son of a bey marries a daughter of a bey.” İlyas objects to this idea and his
mother explains the situation to his father. Although his father protests against
his son’s decision, he sees that his son is in real love with the girl and does not
want to disappoint him. Then the father takes the road to Turkmenian village.
İlyas’ father says to Ferayi’s father, a blacksmith: “we come to gather the rose
in your garden; we come to get a daughter and give you a son.” Upon these
words, father of Ferayi goes along with their demand by saying: “It is a honor
for our village if our daughter marries a son of a bey.” After learning this
situation, Mıstık (Mustafa), brother of Ferayi, protests against their marriage
and says: “seeing that Feraye binds with a promise to wed without asking to us,
I will not let them marry.”
Since becoming helpless, Ferayi and İlyas decide to meet at Kapuz, a place out
of sight. Ferayi loads her trousseau to a camel and goes to meeting place. Her
brother Mıstık follows him secretly and says “you are running away without
our knowledge” and draws his dagger. Ferayi fells down in a pool of blood and
her brother lets her down to bottom of Kapuz. From that day on, bottomless
Kapuz is called “Bloody Kapuz.”
Upon coming to meeting place, İlyas sees his lover’s dead body on one side
and her brother’s dead body, committed suicide, on the other side. Then, he
goes crazy and his shrieks echoes around mountains. After this incident,
villagers elegize the folk song Ferayi and the song keeps the memory of this
tragic incident as it has been sung by many people for 800 years (Mehmet Ali
Eren, Öyküleriyle Muğla Türküleri (Muğla Folk Songs with Their Stories),
Muğla , 2003, p.34-35).
Ferayi
Ferayidir gızın adı Ferayi de yandım aman
Esmer yârim de aman da Ferayi
Türkmen de gızı, katarlamış mayayı of yar yandım aman
Esmer yârim de aman da mayayı
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Ninni ninna, ninni ninnana, ninninih, ninaynaynam
Aman da aman Ferayi
Demirciler demir döğer, tunç olur öf yandım aman
Esmer yârim de aman da tunç olur
Sevip sevip ayrılması, güç olur öf yandım aman
Esmer yârim de aman da güç olur
Kerimoğlu Zeibek: Lyrics in Turkish and the Story
The Zeibeks were a particular kind of bandit who flourished between the 16th
and 20th centuries in Western Anatolia. The Zeibeks rebelled against the
political authorities, and they sought shelter in the mountains in consequence of
their involvement in various incidences related to injustice and the violation of
honor and chastity.
Kerimoğlu is one of the reputed zeibeks lived around Muğla at the at the end of
19th century. Kerimoğlu Eyüp (1882-1901) is from Pisi (today Yeşilyurt)
village of Muğla province. He loses his father when he is a child and he is
raised by his mother Hatice. He engages in agriculture and stockbreeding with
his brother Hüseyin for some time in Pisi as others do. In the mean time, while
Eyüp engages in stockbreeding, his brother Hüseyin starts to smuggle tobacco.
Because, tobacco is monopolized by a foreign company named “regie” at that
time in Ottoman Empire and it is forbidden to sell tobacco and people can only
give their production to regie. Thus, people choose to smuggle tobacco instead
of giving it to regie and this leads to conflicts between people and lawenforcement officers.
There is a wedding in a place, named Maşat today, in Pisi in 1901. Eyüp starts
to dance during the wedding. Mukhtar İzzet Agha, a foe of Eyüp, also sits with
his friends at one of tables there. Koca Mehmet, a friend of Eyüp’s brother,
comes to wedding and starts to do zeibek dance without any permission.
According to tradition of being a zeibek, it is perceived as a very discourteous
behavior of a zeibek to do zeibek dance while another zeibek (a male from
community) is dancing at the same stage. Because, zeibek dance is a dance of
manfulness and it means being doubtful about manfulness of the dancer if
someone tries to accompany a zeibek while he is doing zeibek dance at stage.
Being in such a situation, Kerimoğlu Eyüp shows his respect and leaves the
stage while Koca Mehmet dances as he is a friend of his brother. Despite this,
Koca Mehmet sits at the table of İzzet Agha, mukhtar of Pisi and a foe of Eyüp,
after finishing his zeibek dance. Getting angry due to this disrespectfulness,
Kerimoğlu Eyüp goes to table of İzzet Agha and tells Koca Mehmet to leave
the table. Mehmet stands up and Eyüp says him: “the things on you belong to
my Efe, take them off.” Thereon, İzzet Agha becomes angry at Eyüp’s
behavior and tries to attack to him. Eyüp draws his gun and wounds İzzet Agha
on his arm. Then he escapes from the wedding place and goes to a place named
Değirmenderesi. He is catched and beat by Koca İsmail, nicknamed Kosmel,
there. At last, his mother Hatice takes him to home on her back.
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İzzet Agha reports the event to zaptiah (policeman). After hearing that zaptiahs
comes to the village, Eyüp escapes by taking his rifle and cartridges. Zaptiahs
search him and one of them finds him at a place named Arap cemetery and
asks him to surrender. But Eyüp does not surrender and escapes to mountains
by killing the zaptiah.
He starts to live in wilderness as all other outlaw zeibeks do. He hide himself in
mountains around Pisi and Yerkesik in Mugla. Only his mother Hatice and
brother Hüseyin know about his place. Althoug zaptiahs constantly go their
home and force Hatice to tell about Eyüp’s place, they cannot learn and they
are unable to catch him.
Kerimoğlu Eyüp lives in mountains for 6-7 months. One day, he sees a girl
named Sultan in Çakallar village when he comes to Yerkesik from mountains.
He starts to meet with the girl, living with her grandfather, often. Then, one
day, Eyüp decides to meet with Sultan and tells his brother and other zeibeks to
guard him. He eats drinks and talks with the girl in her house that night.
Eyüp and his brother Hüseyin sleep at Sultan’s home. While everybody sleeps
at night, İbiş İbrahim, one of Eyüp’s friends, goes to Yerkesik and tells İsmail
Çavuş, nicknamed Kör Arap, about Eyüp’s place. Then, Kör Arap and his
soldiers make a sudden attack to the house. They kill Kerimoğlu Eyüp and
arrest his brother Hüseyin. His grave is around Çakallık, a Menteşe District of
Yerkesik. This place is the village of Sultan, it is Çakallar Village.
Community gives voice to tragic story of Kerimoğlu Eyüp, died in 19 years
old, with this song. Kerimoğlu Zeibek has an important place in zeibeks and it
is a manfulness song reputed all over the Turkey especially in Western
Anatolia (Mehmet Ali Eren, Öyküleriyle Muğla Türküleri (Muğla Folk Songs
with Their Stories, Muğla, 2003, pp.46-49)
Kerimoğlu Zeybeği
Haydülen de haydülen Karadağların sandalı da sandalı
Al kanlara boyanmış Kerimoğlu’nun her yanı da her yanı
Haydülen de haydülen şu dağlarda geyik kalmadı
Oynülen de Kör Arabım sen oyna senden başka yiğit kalmadı
Haydülen de haydülen Eyüp Efem gitti gitti bulunmaz
Elleme Kör Arabım elleme uykularda adam vurulmaz
Haydülen de haydülen Yerkesik’len şu Pisi’nin arası
Yaktı da beni kaşlarının arası da karası

We thank to Ercan Arıcan from the Department of American Culture and Literature at Hacettepe University for
his valuable contribution to translate the texts of folk songs’ stories.
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Makbule Kaya
Makbule Kaya was born in Milas, Muğla in 1959. She attended to primary
school in Milas, and secondary school in Ortaklar, Aydın one of the province
of in Western Anatolia. She graduated from the Department of English
Language and Literature in Ege University in 1983. During her childhood, she
was inspired of her father who was a musician and grew up with listening to
several melodies. These experiences took her to be a famous folk singer in
TRT-Turkish Radio and Television Corporation.
In 1975 she won the grand prize all in Türkiye in the Altın Horoz Competition
with her unique voice and in 1980 she gained the first prize of Türkiye in the
field of folk music. In the same year, she was granted an award of local singing
artist. She started to work as a folk singer in İzmir Radio in 1983. In her
repertoire, among songs of other regions especially folk songs from Western
Anatolia and Aegean islands play a big part. Besides, she plays “bağlama” that
is a traditional Turkish stringed instrument.
Makbule Kaya who is well-known as the nightingale of the Aegean Region,
participated in several national and international musical activities and festivals
and was honored with many prizes. She compiled many folk songs from
Aegean Region and made albums like “Hadi Gari”. Currently, she has been
folk singer and at the same time she is the member of the Executive Board of
Auditors in TRT. Makbule Kaya is married and has two children.
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Hulki Rıza İpek
He was born in İzmir on August 3, 1961. He was grandson of Mustafa İpek
who was the first local singing artist of TRT İzmir Radio and a musical
instrument maker. He was also son of Yılmaz İpek who is the very well-known
as a baglama virtuoso and was the conductor of Chorus of Yurttan Sesler
(National Voices Society) in TRT Izmir. After passing the exam of TRT, he
got his new position in Yurttan Sesler Topluluğu as a qualified performer. İpek
compiled several folk songs from in various regions and notated and added
them to TRT musical repertoire.
He participated in different television and radio programs within the scope of
national and international organizations of TRT and gave concerts in many
countries. He is married with Çigdem Erkal İpek who is a very well-known
translator in Türkiye. He has two children named Elif and Erkal.
He also continues his service as instrument artist of Turkish Folk Music at TRT
Izmir Radio as well as continuing his conductorship for different choirs of the
same institution.
SALI / TUESDAY, 09/10/2012
21.00– Turkish Musical Performance in Ottoman Residence
Turkish Folk Dance Performance: Akyaka Folk Dance Group
(in Ottoman Residence Hotel by Azmak River)
Turkish Folk Music/ Bağlama and Vocal Music
Metin Eke (ITU–Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State
Conservatory). Vocals: Kemal Silay–Indiana University, Bloomington and
F. Gülay Mirzaoğlu, Hacettepe University)
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Folk Songs from World Cultures by the Participants
(from Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Canada, Croatia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Japan,
Kosovo, Macedonia, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus, The Netherlands, Ukraine, USA, UK, Wales…)
PAZARTESİ / MONDAY, 08/10/2012 and SALI / TUESDAY, 09/10/2012
Turkish Traditional Arts
Exhibition of Tile-making by Mehmet Gürsoy
Mehmet Gürsoy
Mehmet Gürsoy, born in 1950, is a world famed ceramic artist who revives the
İznik Ceramic Art, lost towards the end of 17th century and who takes it much
further with his new comments. Gürsoy, is the successor of İznik Ceramic Art,
known since 16th century, on our present day.
Gürsoy, private student of Prof. Muhsin Demironat from Istanbul Fine Art
Academy, engages in Ceramic Art for 35 years and is especially known for his
studies on the rebirth of Iznik Ceramic. Gürsoy, by searching writings about
İznik Ceramic Art and its patterns, restructures İznik Ceramics. Moreover, he
rediscovers the mixtures of clay and colors with studies that take many years.
The artist got the first prize for vase and dish, and the second prize for panel in
1st International Ceramic Congress Competition (1986). Gürsoy who has
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contributed to bring up a great number of students by giving lessons in
Dumlupınar University for many years, carries on his studies in Kütahya. The
artist held a lot of personal exhibitions on national and international level and
was invited to various art festivals.
According to artist, Ceramic is a music addressing eye. Tulips, roses, hyacinths
and caryophylluses are music notes. Ceramic is the art of concealing the color of
precious stones under glaze. The artist is awarded for the `People Living
Treasure` prize by UNESCO in 2009.
“The art of tile-making resembles the nature created by the God and it is
transforming the nature into clay, stone and paper. Everything that the God has
created is beautiful and carefully formed. The Turkish tile making, therefore,
finds itself striving for the perfection of noticeable details and motifs.” (Mehmet
Gürsoy)
Exhibition of Turkish Calligraphy Art “Hat” by Şenol Karadaş
Şenol Karadaş
Şenol Karadaş is a calligraphy artist who has 29 years of experience from all
over the world by actively working in many cultures. Throughout his
professional life, his objective has been to introduce calligraphy through
the development of interactive environments and create passion for calligraphy
art in new generations. He received training from calligraphy masters Sinan
Sinangil, Fuat Başar and Savaş Çevik.
He started the Art of Calligraphy at the age of 11 and he has worked in many
different cities and countries until now. He taught Art of Calligraphy to amateur
enthusiasts between 1984 and 1997. He has worked in many countries such as
USA, England, Germany, Belgium, The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
and United Arab Emirates to introduce art of calligraphy. He has also worked in
many different cities and places in Turkey and he continues to visit different
cities and countries and attends to different fairs to introduce art of calligraphy to
the people.
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Exhibition of Turkish Paper Marbling “Ebrû” by Merih Ulubay
Merih Ulubay
Merih Ulubay is a marbling artist. He was born in Muğla in 1974. He graduated
from Muğla University. He started to his training of art painting in İskender
Alper Cultural Center bound to Muğla Municipality. He also continued to
training of art painting and Turkish paper marbling. He held several exhibitions
on painting, photography and Turkish paper marbling in Akyaka, Muğla and in
other cities in the Aegean Region. He has also attended different social
organizations to introduce marbling art to people from different countries. Mr.
Ulubay has also been continuing his service as trainer of Turkish paper marbling
at Muğla Municipality since 2003 as well as continuing his art studies.
Exhibition of Turkish Felt Art “Keçe” by Nurgül Begiç
Nurgül Begiç
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Nurgül Begiç was born in Ankara in 1964. She graduated from the Department
of Handicrafts Education in the Faculty of Vocational Education at Gazi
University in 1986. She taught at a Vocational High School for Girls for 8 years.
In 1994, she served as a teacher in the Faculty of Vocational Education at Selçuk
University. Begiç completed her master’s degree in 1999. Her master’s thesis
was on felts. Her project on felt was accepted to the European Union. In 2002,
she went to Ireland for her research on felt and had a felt workshop. She was
also invited to Boston to research felts and other handicrafts.
In a competition, which was organized by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and
Tourism, her felt shawl with Tokat block printing was praised, and it began to
sell in the DÖSİM shops, belonging to the ministry. Begiç was invited to the Art
School in New York to give felt workshop and have her exhibition. As of today,
she continues her work in Konya.
F. Gülay MİRZAOĞLU
42nd International Ballad Conference Coordinator
Zehra KADERLİ
42nd International Ballad Conference Assistant Coordinator
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