Ufuk Girgic, Turkey
I try to express the joys and richness of my culture through my tapestries. I want Anatolia’s millennia-old civilizations, myths, and legends to come alive with color and texture. I am passionate about fiber and technique, and use knots that are both traditional and personal. Selecting from a storehouse of raw and natural jute, hemp, sisal, straw, bamboo, cotton, and wool, I weave stories with both literal and figurative depth. Art remained a second, but strong, life partner throughout my advertising career. Through research, I continued to build on my earlier art education. Today the act of weaving nourishes me full time.
While weaving ‘Aegean Woman,’ I was reminded of something my Grandpa used to say: Starting is half way to finishing. It’s become my motto. When I’ve finished half of the piece, the excitement of weaving the next motif motivates me to work even harder and faster.
As the title of this exhibition explains, once I’ve dreamed about starting a new tapestry, I always sketch its design before starting to weave. This is my drawing for ‘Amulet.’