İZ-DÜŞÜM Design Exhibition

The Popular “İZ-DÜŞÜM” Design Exhibition Concluded Today

Istanbul Nişantaşı University’s Maslak NeoTech Campus hosted Assist. Prof. Dr. Nursen Geyik Değerli’s solo design exhibition “İZ-DÜŞÜM” from 6 to 16 March 2026.

İZ-DÜŞÜM is an interdisciplinary design project exploring the transfer of visual memory from one period onto a different time and material. It is based on the transformation of blue, historically a symbol of “noble and unattainable” luxury, into denim, today’s most democratic and widespread material. Bringing together Anatolia’s ancient block-printing motifs and denim, a symbol of modern clothing culture, the work synthesises palace aesthetics with street culture and rigid industrial textures with fluid, loose-fitting garment forms. While questioning the place of traditional crafts in modern textiles, it aims to translate the aesthetics of the past into a contemporary design language.

The Memory of Blue and Craft Left a Lasting Impression

Taking visitors on a historical journey from Anatolia’s ancient indigo blue to today’s denim culture, the exhibition attracted art enthusiasts, academics and students. The selection, featuring stylised and anonymous Anatolian motifs stamped onto denim surfaces using wooden blocks made from linden, reopened the discussion on the role of craft in modern textiles.

An Interdisciplinary Achievement

Bringing traditional kaftan forms together with modern silhouettes, the exhibition emphasised that design is more than an aesthetic result: it is a process of “resistance” and “memory” at every stage, from stitching to printing and washing to stamping. Displayed in the NeoTech Campus Foyer for ten days, the works once again demonstrated the sustainability of traditional Turkish textile art in modern fashion.

We thank all visitors, our academic staff for their support, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Nursen Geyik Değerli of the Faculty of Art and Design’s Textile and Fashion Design Department for bringing this project to life.

Source: https://stf.nisantasi.edu.tr/haber/izdusum-tasarim-sergisi-797322