DESIGNER PROFILE
ENTER THE MAGICAL, SURREAL AND MINIATURE WORLD OF FIBRE ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR IREM YAZICI, AKA BAOBAP HANDMADE
Delve into the magical miniature world
of textile artist and illustrator Irem Yazici
There’s something captivating about a world in miniature, isn’t there? Especially a fantastical world, made up of unlikely characters, bright colours, varied textures and gorgeous threads. Turkish artist Irem Yazici creates the most enchanting scenes, straight from a child-like imagination. And, funnily enough, she’s just illustrated and stitched her first children’s book – eight months of solid stitching during lockdown, with only 12 days’ break.
“I used to draw things when I was a kid in a very, very small way,” says Irem, of her style. “When working in tiny areas, adding details increases my connection with what I make. I think people who view my work feel the same when they see those tiny details.” Irem believes the impact of details in miniature work is greater than for any other scale. “Noticing those details makes you feel like you’ve found a treasure in an unexpected moment,” she explains.
On visits to her seamstress grandmother as a child,
Irem was captivated by the various sewing tools, threads and fabrics in her house. “I used to play with her sewing materials and try to make something in my own way,” says Irem. “I tried cross stitch for the first time there and my mother showed me how to do it. I was very impressed to see what I could make by using a single needle.” It took until 2014, however, for Irem to “spontaneously start embroidering”. “On a random day, I bought some fabric and threads, went home and started,” she says. “I think the golden connection occurred in that moment.”
There’s a piece of her childhood that left an even deeper impression, however. “There’s an embroidered work in my mother’s house, which she stitched when she was a young girl,” says Irem. “It drew my attention because it was made in a different way than the other artworks I’d seen, which were only paintings.” The piece is a magical flower garden scene, with a fountain in the middle stitched using lots of techniques – from French knots to chain stitch. “This is actually something I have just realised about myself: I believe that this embroidered work of my mother’s has formed the core of my style. When I first started to embroider, I was instinctively using many techniques when I had not yet developed a vision. From the beginning of my journey, I’ve always been a fan of using various techniques since the visual richness they create and the unexpected texture when they come together are the elements that satisfy me the most in fibre arts.”
Other than her mother, Irem is most inspired by the opportunity to create her own world through what she makes. “Knowing that the mind has unlimited creative power inspires me most. Unexpected and unconventional images, sounds, textures and palettes are what impress me right now. The creations I can see in this limitlessness have a stimulating effect for me and for my art,” she says.
Irem enjoys the freedom of creating personal works at the moment, exploring her sketches and conjured worlds. “Many things can qualify as art because I think
“When working in tiny areas, adding details increases my connection with what I make. I think people who view my work feel the same...”
an artwork is something a person creates out of parts of their soul,” she says. “For example, when you see a handmade dress or when you taste a meal, you sense and feel the traces of the person who made it – that makes it an artwork. That’s why something called ‘craft’ can also be considered art, because it is possible to see the spirit traces of a person in everything that is handmade.” Irem believes the reason that embroidery is still not seen as an art form by many is because of the lingering perception of “worthless housework done by women”. “This perception continues despite embroidery living its golden age and the efforts of some embroidery artists to raise awareness about this issue,” says Irem. “As a fibre artist, I find this very frustrating. Artists are already obliged to defend and explain themselves on many issues such as their pricing or the substance of their work and it just creates another burden. Now though, we are living in a magnificent era where things transform and change very quickly. I believe that this perception will weaken and disappear in the next few years by the awareness that is raised on social media.”
Irem always wanted to be an artist, but struggled to find the right financial and moral support. She went to university and continued to draw, make and produce things, but her real journey with art began that day in 2014, when she bought her materials on a whim. “My first embroidered works consisted of miniature landscapes inspired by photographs,” Irem recalls. “I thought it would be great if I could make a living from what I love to make. So I turned my embroidery into useful items such as jewellery and purses. However, when you look at my drawings, they consist of more fantastical stuff. I thought: Why don’t I use embroidery as an art tool to fully express myself? From that moment on, I’ve been an artist.”
So, what are Irem’s tips for discovering the artist in yourself? “Compare yourself only by your creations, not others,” she says. “Listen to your inner voice and try to find what belongs to you and to your spirit.” Irem believes the diversity in our different spirits and the expressions of these is what makes us unique, and that being different is nothing to be afraid of. “Express your true self,” she says. “Because it’s the most valid and valuable thing.”
See more of Irem’s work at www.baobap.co and in Princess Pinecone and the Wee Royals written by C.C. Bernstein