Bosnian miniature artist depicts ‘Enchanting Istanbul’

Ornamentation and miniature artist Mihaela Alpayer depicted Istanbul in her exhibition in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Curated by Beste Gürsu and organized by the Istanbul Intercultural Arts Dialogue Association (İKASD), the exhibition "Büyüleyici Istanbul" (Enchanting Istanbul) opened at the Turkish Embassy in Sarajevo. Speaking during the opening ceremony, Ambassador Cihad Erginay praised the works of Alpayer, adding that Istanbul has been the inspiration of many works of art for centuries. Alpayer reflects her love for Istanbul in her works while she is inspired from different cultures. Erginay highlighted the difficulty of miniature art and said artists spend months on completing miniature paintings. Born in Romania, Alpayer has passionately dedicated her life to Turkish ornamentation art since she settled in Turkey in 1999. Her work shows Istanbul from different perspectives. "I came from the east and wanted to display the beauty of Istanbul on my works. Although the years pass quickly, Istanbul has always remained an appealing city," she said. Alpayer tries to inform visitors about Istanbul through her work. "I tried to present the lesser-known details about Istanbul in my piece," she continued. Gürsu additionally said Alpayer reinterpreted the city based on her own culture. The exhibition was previously shown in Brussels and will be on display until Feb. 28 in Sarajevo.