More than half a century of carving wood

Wood has been part of his life since childhood. Once he felt confident enough in his skills he turned to sculpture and relief. He calls himself a “tree doctor”, saying that in his workshop they breathe new life into wood.

About 80% of his output is for mosques: kündekari doors, mihrabs, minbars, pulpits, muezzin galleries and calligraphic panels. He also carves human and animal figures, sculptures with Arabic inscriptions, reliefs, portraits and Seljuk-style pieces. He works mainly in wood; for some works he has carved wooden patterns to be cast in bronze.

His works can be found across Türkiye, including Foça, İzmir, Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Antalya, Alanya, Isparta and İskenderun, and abroad in Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Germany and the USA. He produced decor and models for the state palace of Azerbaijan and furniture for the Turkish Presidency.

Passing the craft on has always mattered to him. In the early 2000s his ten-person workshop was training young people with disabilities, and over the years he has taught his son Sezer, open-prison inmates and apprentices with disabilities. His greatest worry today is that too few young people are entering the trade: “Don't let this profession end with us.”

Awards and titles

Honourable mention (third worldwide)

At an international competition, for the sculpture “Dream and Power”.

State Artist

The title of State Artist of Türkiye in wood carving.

Türkiye's Ahi of the Year 2021

Named by the Ministry of Trade on the 850th anniversary of Ahi Evran's birth; received the Ahi kaftan from the President.

İskenderun Chamber of Commerce plaque

Presented in 2021 to honour his selection as Ahi of the Year.

National awards

Numerous awards from institutions across Türkiye.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions in İskenderun, Bodrum, Ankara and Antalya; group exhibition of the İskenderun Culture and Art Association.