TBy - S&M Publication ltd

COVER STORY INCENTIVE MAGAZINE
Gonul Paksoy From Collection to Creation
G
onul Paksoy, our cover story, will present three exhibitions to the
world of Creation and Art.
The first Exhibition will take place at the Kadir Has University
"Rezan Has Museum" at Halic (Golden Horn).
"From Collection to Creation - Gonul Paksoy"
The exhibition will be opened on the 19th April for two weeks.
It will be within the International Congress of Textiles and Carpets, ICOC.
The second exhibition will again be at the Has University to celebrate the
10th anniversary of the University.
"Soil shaped by Culture" archeological collection of pottery - Gonul Paksoy
The exhibition will open on the 8th May and will be for four months.
The third Exhibition took place at Kuwait between March 3-8 2007 and it was
on the aerations of Gonul Paksoy.
"Timeless Purity" (minimalism) was the name of the exhibition.
Alongside the new textiles you use in the garments you create, you also use
quite precious and very original old fabrics. You treat each one in a special
manner and sometimes you dye them. What is your reason for using and
dyeing old fabrics? Why do you feel the need to do this?
The reason why I dye fabrics anew is in part to be able to play with their texture
and in part because I do not like their color. By playing with their texture
and color, I obtain a totally different fabric. I transform the colors into
mine. Dyeing old fabrics, especially Ottoman textiles, can have some incredibly
beautiful results. Many of these fabrics had once been used in the imperial
palace or in places having to do with the court. The best craftsmen were
employed to weave them, the best threads, the best dyes, the best silver
threads were used to produce them. I must say that, the fabrics woven in
Istanbul, Edirne and Hereke hold a special place in my eyes.
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Isn't it risky to use this kind of material?
Textile products need to be preserved with great care. You need to have special
conditions to reduce their rapid deterioration. This is something only
certain museums are able to achieve. When I purchase certain fragments, I
see that they have been preserved with care by their previous owners
between several sheets of paper. This gives fabric more endurance.
Whereas there are others who , even if they keep something because they
think it is of value, they can cause it harm by keeping it in inappropriate conditions
or without special care. And such fabrics demand much more attention
when they are cleaned, washed and dyed. There are some valuable
pieces amongst the old fabrics I have bought and some of them are in pretty
poor state. Indeed, this is a form of risk taking. I succeed in recycling
such a fragment then I win, and my gain is a fantastic piece, but if I don't,
then I accept losing the money and effort I spent on it. At times, a piece of
fabric that looks sturdy may begin to tear once you start detaching it. You
need to be very attentive and act with care in this job. From time to time people
ask me whether I do not feel uneasy when I modify a kaftan. No, I don't.
I protect everything that needs protection. This is why I have a lovely collection
of textiles. If one day a textile museum is founded in Turkey, or if I can
set up a museum myself, I shall exhibit all of them. If a big museum is founded
and I can have confidence in their management, I may even donate my
acquisitions. I do not destroy things, I believe that I re-infuse life into those
things that have been abandoned and are about to disappear. I add them my
energy and incorporate a tremendous amount of love and effort in them. I
endow them with an artistic identity. The women who have bought Gonul
Paksoy garments become addicted to them and they become an inseparable
part of their lives.