miniarture

Amongst traditional Turkish arts, Gonca is trained in calligraphy, miniature and tezhip (“illumination”). After obtaining her degree in tezhip arts, she pursued an apprenticeship in the heart of the handcrafts center in Istanbul and finally opened her own studio in the same region, Sultanahmet in 2005.

In the early years of her studio, she explored many different classical art forms on varying surfaces: from illustrating original manuscripts, musical instruments and boxes made from bone, to marbling textiles.

Now producing works mainly in miniature under her brand miniarture, Gonca finds this medium allows more freedom of expression compared to the others she’s trained in. Though she works within the pre-defined boundaries of traditional art, she occasionally pushes them too - presenting miniatures in unexpected contexts such as the skin of a tambourine.

Explore Miniarture’s work below.