Aigai guard transforms discarded wood into art

  MANİSA  

For the past 16 years, Yaşar Tuncer has worked as a security guard at the 2,700-year-old ancient city of Aigai in the western province of Manisa. Now, in his spare time, he gives discarded tree branches and roots a second life by turning them into decorative wooden artworks.

Living in the rural neighborhood of Köseler in Manisa’s Yunusemre district, the 49-year-old father of one discovered wood carving around two years ago after coming across handcrafted wooden designs online.

Without receiving any formal training, Tuncer taught himself the craft using a limited set of tools. He collects abandoned branches and tree roots from nature and transforms them into original decorative pieces inspired by their natural shapes.

“I saw wooden artworks on the internet and thought, ‘Why can’t we make something even better?’” Tuncer said.

“One day, I picked up a piece of wood and studied it for days. Eventually, I began to imagine a shape inside it. Once I started carving, I realized it could become a work of art. Since then, I’ve enjoyed doing this tremendously.”

He said he now looks at every tree with a different perspective.

“Wherever I go, I examine the trees around me and ask myself what each one could become. I collect discarded branches, bring them home and leave them where I can see them for a few days. Gradually, an idea forms in my mind, and I begin giving the wood a new life,” he said.
Tuncer described wood carving as both demanding and therapeutic.

“I do this as a hobby. When I come home from work, it helps me forget all my fatigue. It requires patience, but it is incredibly relaxing and gives me peace. I never knew I had this talent. I only wish I had discovered it earlier,” he said.

Looking ahead, Tuncer hopes to establish a workshop in his village after retiring.
“Our village has significant tourism potential thanks to Aigai Ancient City. I want to open a workshop and teach this craft to young people. It could become both a new profession for them and a source of income for our village,” he said.

Tuncer added that his family, initially skeptical because of the dust created by woodworking, has since become his strongest source of encouragement after seeing his finished creations.