Top Istanbul artist to teach marbling techniques.
Marbling art returns to the island this month for three days when Istanbul-based ebru artist Başak Kızıltoprak will hold a series of workshops of the Turkish craft. The eastern technique, known in the West as ”Turkish paper” or marbled paper, was widely used in Western bookbinding to produce colourful front pages.
It is believed to have originated in Bukhara, in 13th century Turkistan, and remains a popular craft in Turkey since Ottoman times.
Ms Kızıltoprak holds regular classes at her Kadiköy studio and has developed the decorative art to create portraits of flowers, horses and owls.
”We drop pigments on to the surface of water in a large metal tray. The secret ingredient which keeps the paints separate is made from ox gall,” she said.
Designs are then swirled into the colours using a steel pin before a sheet of paper is laid face down on to the surface to transfer the pattern. The forth series of the Dance of Colours North Cyprus workshops are planned for Friday to Sunday , November 20-22 from 10am-1pm and 4-7pm.
The Friday and Sunday workshops will take place at Room 22 in the capital’s historic Büyük Han but Saturday’s morning and afternoon sessions will be held at Girne’s VAV Alternative Education Centre in Sehit Fehmi Ercan Sokak.
Participation is priced at 100TL for a single workshop or 250TL for three three-hour sessions and places should be reserved in good time by phoning Sibel Limberg on 0533 865 7007.
