December 13, 2013
BIOGRAPHY:
Mehmet Sekir Ünlü has had a love for wood from the days of his childhood playing with tops, wooden cars, and willow whistles. As he grew beyond the simple toys of childhood, he didn’t outgrow his love for the material that seems so basic, yet can be so exotic.
Looking around his native Turkey, Mehmet also noticed the rich history of mosaic art that can be seen. He was struck by the notion that the mosaic tile is really a pixel, the most basic element of what modern technology strives to duplicate in high definition screens.
So, taking the richness of the cultural past around him, and combining it with his lifelong love for wood, Mehmet began creating mosaic art using wood of various types, without coloration from paint, stain, or dye. He calls his art “Ahsapkari,” a name inspired by the traditional craft using silver wire called Telkari. His manipulation and placement of wood creates truly unique pieces.
While no additional color is added to the wood, the pieces are sanded and shellacked to bring out the natural color and deep beauty each piece holds. To achieve the vibrant colors seen in his creations, Mehmet uses a variety of woods, ranging from tropical/exotic woods such as Ayous, Wenge, Purple Rosewood, Green Rosewood, Movengiu, and Teak; but he does not shy away from using small pieces of ordinary wood that others may see as waste or scrap.
Enjoy these few examples of Mehmet’s craftsmanship, and notice the detail he achieves in both color and texture. To see more of his works, click on the button to visit the website for this unique art. You can also follow the artist on Twitter, or connect with him on Facebook where there are videos showing the process of creating Ahsapkari. Finally, if you would like to contact the artist directly to arrange a commission piece, show his work, or support him in any other way, fill out the contact form located below the images.
All images shown on this sight and elsewhere on the internet are copyright protected and registered – please respect copyrights. All the materials contained may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, or transmitted in any way without my permission. My images do not belong to the public domain. ©Mehmet Sekir Unlu