Gizem Aytaç, a 35-year-old computer engineer living in eastern Türkiye, has found an unusual canvas for her art: carpets.
Aytaç paints portraits of historical figures, female sultans and well-known personalities, as well as animals and landscapes, directly onto carpet surfaces that are later displayed as wall hangings in homes.
Her interest in art began in childhood. She said her father was a talented artist and that she was inspired by his drawings. She would often sketch her own pictures of girls in her notebooks. Over the years, she developed her passion for painting and eventually moved beyond paper and canvas to carpets.
Aytaç works as an engineer at an institution in Elazığ and continues painting in the evenings and on weekends. She also occasionally works from her aunt's home in Kayseri.
While studying computer engineering at Fırat University, Aytaç temporarily stepped away from painting. She returned to it during the COVID-19 pandemic, when flexible working arrangements gave her more time for creative pursuits.
She said watching online videos of people painting rekindled her interest.
“When I painted, I realized that I forgot all the troubles and worries of the outside world and enjoyed a wonderful time in my imagination,” Aytaç told Anadolu Agency (AA). “It was a very beautiful passion for me.”
Aytaç continued working as an engineer while developing her art, posting charcoal and oil paintings on social media. Her portrait work attracted particular attention.
A carpet company eventually approached Aytaç with an offer to paint her portraits directly onto carpet surfaces.
“That was a turning point for me,” she said.
Unlike paper or canvas, carpet presented a completely different surface, one that Aytaç associated with history and cultural heritage.
“The carpet surface and carpet patterns, Turkish motifs – this is actually a surface through which we connect with the past,” she said.
She initially hesitated about the idea. But after completing her first painting, she was struck by the way traditional motifs and contemporary portraiture came together.
“After I painted my first picture, the balance of the motifs and the painting and the appearance of the work fascinated me,” she said. “It took me back to the past. The way the old and modern art created an image together had a great impact on me.”
Aytaç began sharing the finished pieces on social media to showcase her work. She said she did not expect them to receive such a strong response.
The work has also attracted the attention of other artists and artisans who wanted to try painting on carpets.
Aytaç said she discovered that artists in other parts of the world were also working on similar surfaces, but she believes her work helped draw attention in Türkiye to the combination of portraits, traditional carpet designs and historical themes.
“People really liked seeing people from history with whom we have a connection reflected on a completely different surface, on traditional motifs,” she said.
Aytaç begins each project by deciding on a theme and then selecting a carpet that complements it. She first creates a digital simulation to see how the design will look on the carpet before transferring the sketch to the surface using charcoal or acrylic paint.
She then completes the work with acrylic and oil paints.
Aytaç has painted on carpets measuring up to four square meters and is planning a project on a six-square-meter carpet. A portrait typically takes eight to 10 days to complete, although projects incorporating additional themes can take longer.
Her subjects have included historical figures, female sultans and famous personalities, along with Anatolian leopards, horses and landscapes.
She primarily works on velvet carpets but also uses bamboo, acrylic and silk carpets.
Her work has reached customers in several countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and the United States.
“I have worked with many people abroad,” Aytaç said. “I have sent my works and carried out projects in many countries and many places.”
For Aytaç, the finished paintings represent more than an unconventional form of artistic expression.
She said that when she looks at a completed piece, she feels proud of what she has created.
“It feels as if I am reconnecting with my roots again,” she said.
