I was born in Keşan in 1973. I am the daughter of a family originally from Kardzhali, Bulgaria. Throughout my life, I have walked a path where creation and labor have gained meaning. Today, jewelry is not just an accessory for me; it is a hand-shaped expression of thought, emotion, and time. After studying Business Administration and Marketing at university, I worked in marketing departments in the private sector for about twenty years. After retiring as a Marketing Manager, I placed the need to create, which had been silently present within me for years, at the center of my life. The work discipline, observation skills, and aesthetic vision I acquired over the years are an invisible but powerful part of what I produce today. During the years we lived in Erzurum due to my father's mandatory military service, he developed a passion for antique silver jewelry. He collected various types of silver ornaments, headpieces, belts, belt buckles, seals, armbands, amulets, chains, and medals. I think this process I experienced in my childhood started my love for silver. I remember the silver workshops we visited with my father, the masters, the smells of the workshops, and the laborious work of the Oltu stone craftsmen. My journey with silver began in 1994 with the silver processing training I received at the Cafer Ağa Madrasa. Initially, this journey provided me with a space to breathe and escape from my busy professional life. Over time, I realized that creating was not an escape for me, but a form of expression.
Between 1998 and 2000, I had the opportunity to work with the late Mehmet Kabaş, Hasan Kale, Sevan Bıçakçı, and architect Tamer Kızılağaç at the Istanbul Academy. These trainings in design, drawing, and hand wax modeling formed the basis of my production philosophy.
In subsequent years, I deepened my production practice in metal, wax, and collection design by working with many masters in various private workshops in the Grand Bazaar. In 2012, I received full-time jewelry training for a year in a workshop in the Grand Bazaar and experienced all stages of production practically.
In 2018, I met my filigree master, Ayfer Akbulut. I had the opportunity to blend filigree with different natural materials. I worked with masters Hülya and Metin Güven on diversifying filigree and wirework techniques. My masters Mehmet and Erkan Tarlabaşı shared their experience regarding the Grand Bazaar's production tradition with me.
To improve myself in terms of different techniques, I took a year-long sculpture course with Zargham Fathalizadeh (painter, sculptor) at the A-Z Art Gallery. Applying production techniques from different disciplines to my work opens up a path for me to think freely in production. Therefore, I maintain my childlike enthusiasm for learning.
My brand, "Jewelry from Within," takes its name from my production process. Each piece in this brand is not the result of a plan; it is the result of an emotion, a moment, and an idea that comes from within me. I produce my jewelry as single pieces, not in mass production. I don't make exact repetitions of the same model. I also create personalized jewelry with a story, a memory, or a meaning based on a story. Seasonal, trendy jewelry, identical factory-made models, are completely outside my area of interest and production.
Instead of flawless and millimeter-precise productions; I value creating original, emotional, memorable jewelry that transcends time. I believe that handmade production is a conscious stance against mass production.
In my creations, I use natural materials such as silver and bronze, as well as coral, mother-of-pearl, seashells, and horn. I work with filigree, kazaz (a type of embroidery), fret saw cutting, and hand wax modeling techniques. I personally handle the entire process of my designs, from design and metal cutting to welding and polishing.
The fact that a portion of the proceeds from my jewelry is donated to support girls' education and shelter animals is the spiritual reward of my work. In 2022, my paths crossed with the "Art Knows No Barriers" Association. As a member and artist of the association, I continue to participate in workshops, exhibitions, and studio sessions.
For me, dreaming is a beginning. Transforming dreams into tangible form is my life's purpose. "Jewelry From Within" are the silent but lasting traces of this journey.
Some of the workshops and exhibitions I participated in:
Easy clip-on handle – Hold the brush and dustpan together for storage; the dustpan edge is serrated to allow easy scraping off the hair without entanglement. High-quality bristles – no burr damage, no scratches, thick and durable, comfortable to remove dust and smaller particles.
