Needle laces, which are the artistic expression of Anatolian women's labor, love, patience and the beauty in their hearts, were showcased at the international festival in Bursa.
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, which revives the relics of ancestors with restorations within the scope of historical and cultural heritage works, on the other hand, transfers the intangible cultural heritage to future generations. Within the scope of these activities, the third of the 'International Silk Needle Lace Festival', which was organized to promote needle lace, whose homeland is Turkey, to the whole world and to support its preservation, was held with intense participation. The Japanese, who showed great interest in the festival held at the Merinos Textile Museum, took their places in the stands with 57 beautiful works of art in the design competition.
The opening of the festival, Metropolitan Mayor Alinur Aktaş, Bursa Deputy Emine Yavuz Gözgeç, Culture and Tourism Provincial Director Dr. Kamil Özer, Nişantaşı University Faculty of Art and Design Lecturer Prof. Dr. Hülya Tezcan, Oya researcher and collector Emine Semra Erkan, Japanese collector Ikumi Nonaka and collector İbrahim Koca attended the ceremony with the participation of the jury members.
A unique handicraft
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Alinur Aktaş, who spoke at the opening of the festival, said that although the art of needlework is highly appreciated, it is a unique Turkish handicraft. Stating that each of the works made by Anatolian people has a message, President Aktaş pointed out that silk needle lace is a silent communication tool with the messages they carry. President Aktaş said, “Needle lace is a feast, a wedding, a heritage, a culture, a tradition. Colorful needle laces born from the skillful hands of Anatolian women who embroider their feelings on their writings; it is unique, naive, sensitive. It is the enthusiasm, excitement and sadness of needle and thread such as daisy, carnation, honeysuckle, rose, violet, star. When people are silent in Anatolia; when they had to keep silent, the colors and motifs they chose were voiced instead; While green describing desire, blue hope, white happiness, and black mourning, purple hyacinth lace expresses those who fall in love with love, those who fall into hopeless love and suffer heartache. I would like to express that the 3rd International Silk Needle Lace Festival, which we have made traditional in order to increase its use in our daily life by adding contemporary dimensions to the art of silk needle lace, and to find new ideas to transfer it to the future, is very important. You can also visit the silk needlework exhibition titled 'the wedding of flowers' on the occasion of the fair. I wish good luck to our 7rd International Silk Needle Lace Festival, which will continue until May 3th. I would like to thank all the artists, designers and guests for their participation and congratulate those who put their effort into it,'' he said.
More than a festival
Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Dr. Reminding that Bursa is included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Kamil Özer said, “There is more than just an exhibition or a festival here. We are doing a job that spreads the memory of silk and needle lace that carried Bursa, which surpassed Turkey and even the world, to the world. I attach great importance to the spread of this art, which we have done with handicraft and care, and whose courses we have opened for centuries, in Bursa. Don't forget what a great job you've done here," he said.
Bursa Deputy Emine Yavuz Gözgeç also congratulated the artists who worked on the embroideries, each of which is loaded with different meanings.
İbrahim Koca, a member of the jury, said that they were happy to bring together those who love silk needle lace.
After their speeches, the winner of the design competition Nurhayat Kocatepeli, the second Kerime Nazlı and the third Kazuyo Hirayama were given their awards.
President Aktaş and his entourage closely examined the exhibited works after the opening.