Selcuk Gurisik - Contemporary Designer Employing Traditional Craft

Interior design products of Selcuk Gurisik

One of the most ancient textiles known to humankind, felted wool has been getting a lot of attention among designers around the world in recent years. Those with an interest in exploring traditional craft and a concern for sustainability have found felted wool to be one of the most versatile, durable and remarkable textiles due to its unique properties: fire-retardant, self-extinguishing, dampens vibration and absorbs sound, can hold large amounts of fluids without feeling wet, can be molded into a multitude of forms, resilient - returns to original dimensions after compression and homogenous structure - won't fray.

One of the designers I have found particularly inspiring who is working with this remarkable medium is Selcuk Gurisik of Turkey. After studying architecture in the early 1970's, he went on to study textiles and fashion as well as art and design, gaining a PhD in art and design with a focus on Anatolian Felt-making. During his work on the PhD, he participated in a number of international interior design projects. In the early 1990's, he set up a design studio and today he is active in both design work and lecturing and teaching workshops on traditional Turkish felt-making in both Turkey and the UK. 

I am particularly intrigued by Gurisik's use of bold colours and patterns in his work. I am strongly drawn to and inspired by felted wool and its limitless applications,  so when I saw the immense array of his designs, ranging from clothing, to floor and wall coverings to furniture, I was so excited.

Here are a few of his pieces that really stand out to me. You can find more information on Selcuk Gurisik and his designs at http://selcukgurisik.wordpress.com/.

"Matisse"

Hand felted Ottoman couch

Felted wool upholstery with gold-leaf paint

Silk and felted wool with hand painted gold leaf

Undyed felted wool chair with gold leaf paint

Installation

Beeswax Candles to Ignite Your Inner Light....and Purify Your Air

(image courtesy of http://www.beeswaxcandleco.com/our-candles/)

I love lighting candles in my home this time of year. In addition to a warm glow, candles bring a sense of magic. We light candles when we are about to share a meal (sometimes even at breakfast when we rise before the dawning day) or when we are about to share a story or play a family game. The candle seems to bring us closer in to each other as we cluster in its glow. My children love the small ritual of making a wish each time we blow out a candle (we do this whether or not the candle happens to be on a birthday cake!).

In Waldorf schools around the world, children celebrate St. Martin's Day in early November with a Lantern Walk. Each child makes their own lantern. Just as dusk sets in, they light the lanterns and walk in a procession singing "This Little Light of Mine". They do this as a demonstration of how we can get through the darkest season by bringing the light close and focusing on our inner light. We are reminded that even when the world around us is dark, our inner light, that which connects us with the Divine, can always shine bright.

There's a reason why, in many spiritual traditions, we light candles as the Earth tilts us farther from the sun and we experience the season of shorter days and longer nights. The darkness of this season represents a time for introspection and staying close to the hearth fire. The world outside lies dormant, seeds and bulbs are nestled into the Earth awaiting their time to awaken. The air is chilled and we pull inwards to a kind of hibernation. Lighting candles in our homes brings the waning light of the sun closer to us and reminds us to cultivate our inner light. We light candles when we pray and it makes us feel closer to God somehow to be next to this sacred light.

However, not all candles are created equal! Many candles actually contain poisonous chemicals and leave toxic residues in the air. Paraffin, a component in most commercial candles, is a by-product of the petroleum industry.  "According to the American EPA, paraffin candles are known to release carcinogens like benzene and toluene." (http://www.santafecandle.com/learn/beeswax/whybeeswax.htm)

Beeswax candles are a natural, non-toxic and sustainable alternative to paraffin candles. I am especially fond of 100% pure beeswax candles for a number of reasons. Not only do they emit a beautiful golden glow and a naturally sweet honey scent when they burn, they also clean the air. Beeswax candles create negative ions which actually pull odours, pollens, dust, viruses and allergens out of the air we breathe. Negative ions are also known to promote a host of other health benefits from improved sleep to balancing hormones and a sense of wellbeing (see the above link for more details).

The Santa Fe Beeswax Candle Company refers to beeswax as "Solid Sunlight" because it is "made from flowers by honeybees". How fitting to have some "Solid Sunlight" in our homes while we weather the cold and dark of winter and bring the sun closer to reflect to us our inner light as we breathe deep of our pure air.

(credit: Scott Bauer, USDA/Agricultural Research Services)

Recycled Textile Designs by Jana

A hooded tunic made with recycled silk and leathers.

I was given an old sewing machine when I was in my late 20's and since then, I have been nurturing a passion to create with textiles. I am completely enthralled with the process of taking a 2 dimensional piece of fabric and engineering it into a 3 dimensional garment. Combined with my love of colour and texture, sewing became a natural fit for me.

This meandering path into expressing myself creatively with sewing lead to an interest in hobby crafting specifically with recycled materials. As a virtually untrained seamstress (unless you can count junior high home economics classes), I found I was much too timid to cut into new, virgin fabrics - petrified at the prospect of wrecking an expensive piece of fabric.

Eventually, I discovered great joy in treasure-hunting in thrift and consignment stores, yard sales and clothing swaps: finding interesting items, taking them home to my sewing machine and customizing them into one-of-a-kind garments. There is a lot of freedom to explore in this modality because I can easily try new things and make mistakes without too much financial risk. I found all kinds of textiles and garments to work with, most at an average price of about $5 - $10 each.

The possibilities are limitless and I am endlessly inspired by things I find when I am treasure-hunting and dreaming up new shapes, dimensions and incarnations for them.

I took this brocade Asian vest and tailored it by adding the eyelets and lacing.