We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Umut Demirgüç Thurman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Umut, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
When I was little, I was very interested in drawing, coloring, and handmade objects. I knew that I want to be a maker and artist when I grew up, and my parents always supported that idea. I had many friends who were interested in art making just like I was but their parents pushed them to study something else that they felt was more financially secure, like science, engineering, or medical school. This made my friends sad. I believe that I am very lucky to be supported by my parents to study what I wanted and become an artist.
Umut, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I make one-of-a-kind jewelry and objects using precious metals and enamels. Having been born and raised in Istanbul, Türkiye, I sense the necessity of combining the old world and the new world in my work. Growing up in this culture naturally effected my art. I received my BFA degree in Textile and Fashion Design from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul, Türkiye. And, later I received my MFA degree from UNT’s Metalsmithing and Jewelry program. I am inspired by Turkish textile motifs and use them in my work frequently. To add vibrant color combinations to my metalwork I use vitreous enamels. Visual aspects are as important as the concept, for this reason, besides being conceptually strong, I make my metalwork well crafted. I have always been interested having my pieces slowly reveal themselves to the audience, like reading a story. My lockets first appear one way when looking at the exterior–geometric shapes often with pierced tradition motifs. But then they are opened to reveal more about itself–previously hidden colors, forms, materials. In recent years, I have become more directly narrative with my work, often specifically referencing or being inspired by fairy tales. I am also proud of my service to arts and crafts community in my home country by curating international exhibitions and writing articles in addition to my solo and and group exhibitions. Besides teaching for more than fifteen years of metalwork, enameling, and textile techniques, I wrote Türkiye’s first enameling book and published it in 2022.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I think being a creative person has so many rewards. First of all, working in the studio makes me happy. When I am in the studio, I do not think of any problems, sad memories, or the burdens life throws at me. I believe that working in the studio saves my mental health. I feel really depressed when I don’t have time to make art. The other reward is making objects that bring joy to other people. Whenever someone buys one of my pieces, they say how much they still enjoy it even after years have passed. Another reward is doing exhibitions. When we do exhibitions, the visitors say they feel so good to see that there are still good things in life other than ugly things such as wars and violence. So, I can say that I am really lucky to be a maker.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I was a child, I was very interested in the arts, especially paintings, sculptures, and crafts. I loved drawing, painting, and making things with my hands. I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to study fine arts. When it was time to go to fine arts university in 1991, I had to study very hard to pass the exams to enter Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Textiles and Fashion Design. It was not as fun as I thought it would be and it was extremely stressful. There were close to a thousand applicants, but the program was only accepting 25 students. After I got accepted to the school, I thought the fun would begin and would be a wonderful four years. However, it was the opposite. My four years in undergraduate studies was full of sleepless nights trying to finish projects by the morning. MSÜ is the most competitive art university in Türkiye–not only to be accepted but even graduating was very difficult and challenging. When I look back on those times, I am still amazed at how hard I worked and how much I was able to accomplish.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.umutdemirguc.com
- Instagram: umetalsmith
- Facebook: Umut Metalsmith
Image Credits
Down the Rabbit Hole: Chris Evans Apple: Trade Marek Photography Boring Life: Trade Marek Photography Hansel and Gretel: Trade Marek Photography Aquatic Vision: Umut Demirgüç Thurman Istanbul Ferry: Umut Demirgüç Thurman Istanbul Fish: Umut Demirgüç Thurman Karagöz and Hacivat: Umut Demirgüç Thurman