Deniz Kurdak

As a textile artist, Deniz draws and paints with fabric and thread, transcending traditional boundaries of craft by emphasising emotional repair and reconstruction. Each piece interweaves personal narratives, reflecting themes of memory, identity, and belonging, inspired by objects from her past.

After receiving a BFA degree in stage and costume design, Deniz worked as an academic staff member at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (Istanbul). Additionally, she conducted workshops at universities and foundations in Switzerland, Turkey, and the US.

Her short stop-motion animation movies have been screened at multiple international film festivals, and her work garnered her recognition as a finalist in the "Category of Disarmament" at the 6th Festival for A Film For Peace in 2011. Furthermore, she was awarded a grant by the Turkish Ministry of Culture. Deniz participated in many group exhibitions in Turkey, Beijing, and the UK. 

Her creative journey took a significant turn following her relocation to London in 2016, where she shifted her focus to textiles.

Drawing on her background as a theatre designer, Deniz translates textual and conceptual ideas into visual, non-verbal forms, maintaining a storytelling approach. She reimagines the acts of cutting, sewing, and weaving by adding a concept of emotional repair, akin to the reconstructive aspects of human memory.

A central motif in Deniz’s work is the chinoiserie-patterned pottery that belonged to her grandmother, symbolising her own journey from the East to Europe. The deliberately broken and reassembled form of the pottery illustrates the interplay between fragmentation and wholeness, both literally and metaphorically. It reflects on dualities such as fragility and resilience, belonging and disconnection, truth and illusion. Soft, unbreakable materials like fabric and thread, which connote mending and resilience, create a juxtaposition with the fragility of porcelain.

In 2022, Deniz was recognised as a finalist for her textile art at the Women United Art Prize. This year, her works were showcased in Istanbul as well as at the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts’ Summer Exhibition in London.

Click here to read 'An interview with Deniz Kurdak'