Women in Art 278 Magazine October 2014 | Page 29

turkish artist ısıl akalan wood carving The story of The Ancient Muse start in the archaeological fields. I was working at an ancient Greek excavation site and discover something very rare 2000 year old tree. Until that time all the trees were the same but after that moment, trees became a piece of art for me. That’s when my fascination about the material and changed my life to work with wood. The Ancient Muse name was inspired from that excavation of the Apollo Temple because he is the god with muses. The Ancient Muse is also inspired by Japanese Harajuku fashion, European and Asian folk, Gothic art and 18-19 century France. I believe in the philosophy of “nature is imperfect.” Most of my creations are irregular because of this philosophy. I love to get closer to the harmony of the nature with my designs. I like to add new elements to my wood carvings such as metals, gold leaves and gems. These elements help to arrive at a totally different styles and I really enjoy it. I also love the way gems give a more mystical and earthly look. wom en ART page 29