Hakan Keleş, a research assistant at Eskişehir Osmangazi University's Faculty of Architecture, does illustrations on the photos he takes of remote unspoiled streets.
His illustrations, called "Lilliputs," have attracted attention on social media.
With the aspiration to help others appreciate the unseen features of an urbanscape, Keleş aspires to portray how every neighborhood can be organized in a "downtown" style.
He told Anadolu Agency that the illustrations he posts on his personal Instagram account have garnered great interest both inside and outside the country.
Keleş said he was inspired by the London-based Brazilian artist Lucas Levitan.
"Lucas was doing this as a hobby. My purpose before embarking on this, on the other hand, was different. I love traveling, so I tried to photograph the drawbacks I saw in my country while traveling. The illustrations I do on the photos are designed to show people hidden beauties," he said.
Inspired by Gulliver's Travels
Keleş added that he was inspired by the classic "Gulliver's Travels," written in 1726 by Jonathan Swift.
"As a person who knows that Captain Gulliver's adventures belong to a prominent text that harshly criticized the social, political and religious institutions of the time by means of masterful satire, I named my characters after the Lilliputians from the Gulliver's story by abstaining from political and religious issues. So this turned out to be my version of Gulliver's Travels, or Hakan's travels. I photograph the beautiful yet unnoticed streets of my city and did illustrations on the photos. I love listening to the endless chatter in the narrow streets and using my pen to augment the beauty of the areas," Keleş remarked.
The illustrations attract tourists
Keleş also said the illustrations he shares on Instagram are widely shared on social media.
"People call me from various cities to offer me illustration jobs. And they are surprised when I say that I am not doing this for money. Some tourists visit Eskişehir just because they get curious about the city after seeing my illustrations. I can safely say that my drawings attract a lot of tourists because even people who live on the streets I photograph can look at their neighborhood with a fresh eye and ask 'Is this my street?' And I suppose that colorful and jovial photos appeal to tourists," he added.
Arguing that every urban spot is of the same value, Keleş said, "Lilliputs are everywhere. I will keep on drawing what I see and what I feel. In Gulliver's story, people were giants compared to the Lilliputians. This is the exact opposite in my story. With the characters I draw, I hope I can express the idea that every urban spot is of the same value."
