Zekeriya Kurtoğlu, a blacksmith by trade, has transformed his skills into art, creating unique sculptures from metal pieces in his workshop.
Based in Turkish capital Ankara's Gölbaşı, Kurtoğlu began his career in industry at a young age, working in various sectors. He shared with Anadolu Agency (AA) his journey into metal figurine art.
"I developed my skills by experimenting during stressful times and in my free time," Kurtoğlu said. "I started as a blacksmith and made agricultural tools. Over time, I improved and began creating figures in my spare time."
He explained that his first works were figurines related to his friends and his profession.
"I attach meaning to every piece I make. My first figure was made in honor of a friend who worked as a janitor. I used to tell him, 'I'll make your statue.' I finally created a piece for him, and it turned out beautifully. Later, other friends asked for figures. A prosecutor, a kebab shop owner, and a barber wanted one. It continued like that," Kurtoğlu said.
Kurtoğlu emphasized that his craftsmanship comes from years of practice, and he faced no challenges while creating his figures. However, the most difficult piece he created was a human figure in a prayer position, which he made from a single piece of metal. He refers to this series as "Praying People."
He explained that all of his sculptures carry a message. "The scale of justice represents justice. I made a figure of a person reading a book under a tree, encouraging children to read. I also created a dry tree figure for environmentalists," he said.
Working with a strong recycling mindset, Kurtoğlu shared that while he sometimes makes mistakes, he repurposes the faulty pieces into new products. He adds that since he sources his materials from scrap, throwing them away is not an option.
Kurtoğlu started this hobby as a pastime, but over time it evolved into a passion.
One of his favorite works is a florist figure holding flowers. "I had a friend who worked with lasers in the industry, and I got some parts from him. I collected some from scrap, and while thinking about what I could make, the idea of a basket came to mind, so I made one," Kurtoğlu explained.
He also noted that the profession is facing challenges in training apprentices. "If someone wants to learn, I will teach them. In our trade, we no longer have apprentices. We grew up in apprenticeships, so we became skilled," he said.
