Turkish artist shares Anatolia’s woven language worldwide

ISTANBUL

From the timeless looms of Anatolian villages to the vibrant galleries of New York, weaving artist Fırat Neziroğlu is sharing the profound emotional and cultural language woven into Anatolia's ancient textiles with audiences around the world.

A graduate of Dokuz Eylül University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Textile and Fashion Design, Neziroğlu completed both his master’s degree and proficiency in art at the same institution. He has worked in the textile field for 29 years.

Neziroğlu’s works have been exhibited in numerous cities, including London, Istanbul, Munich, Paris, Incheon, Washington, Hawaii, New York, Shanghai, Venice, Buenos Aires, Rome and New Delhi. Upon an invitation from London, he also wove a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

Describing weaving as a form of cultural memory and expression, Neziroğlu said that his interest in dance, shaped by growing up in an athletic family, adds dynamism to his work, while his mother’s profession as a tailor guided him toward textiles. He said his fascination with history pushed him to explore the origins and meanings of weaving.

“My life revolves around weaving and education,” he said, noting that he also performs live weaving accompanied by opera and symphonic music, turning a traditionally static process into a performative act.

Neziroğlu noted that Anatolian kilims are often reduced to decorative forms, ignoring their deeper meanings. “A kilim is a language, read word by word. From it, we can understand the emotional state of the woman who wove it.”

He explained that a weaver’s mood is reflected in the textile itself, with stronger or softer strikes of the kirkit tool shaping the density of patterns.

Developing a distinctive technique, the artist said he created a system that allows weaving “as if there were threads in the spaces between two threads,” enabling colors to blend more realistically. This method, now taught at universities under his name, has become a recognized system.

Neziroğlu added that his next major project will be in New York, where he is preparing for a new exhibition while continuing to support weaving communities across Türkiye.