Korhan Silk Carpets
Carpet is something that I met when I was a young tourist guide, and it became my lifetime passion.
While I was Japanese tourist guide I realised that the carpet variety in art galleries was not for art fans' pleasure, they were for producers' pleasure.
Especially Japanese customers were criticising the carpets by asking if there were smaller ones or any other colours.
Finally I decided to start making my own designs.
In 1991 I led to create the association, and then I opened my first workshop in the heart of Turkish carpets: Hereke.
Our association is manufacturing Hereke style silk carpet since 1991. I tried to implement a new style to our carpets without losing the classical structure of Hereke carpet.
We have examined the textile patterns used in Ottoman Palaces and the caftans worn by sultans in ceremonies and in their daily lives. We have researched in to the paintings of the oriental painters which were representing the Palace life and daily lives of Ottomans; their Golden Age between 16 and 17th century. We have extracted the suitable patterns for the Hereke style carpets. With different uses of these patterns occasionally in backgrounds or in bordures, we tried to create a collection without changing the taste of Hereke. All the designs of patterns in our carpets are properly created by our association’s members.
My philosophy was to justify that the carpet is an artwork. That's why it was important for me to work with painters and artist society.
Also it was so risky to create new designs and to do something new which was never tried before by the others. But despite all negative critics upon my work, it is a big honour and a source of happiness for me as a producer to see customers prefer my carpets. After all, customers are the people who give the right decision about the products, because they are the people who pay a price to buy them.
I have been rewarded many times by IHIB (Istanbul Carpet Exporters Union) which is the only Union in Turkey about Carpet Export. The designs with high artistic values that I made have become source of inspiration for other producers and they also developed the prestige of the Turkish carpet.
"The Medallion" design
Following words explain the best my perspective about carpet:
I am not able to paint, I am not able to compose, and neither can I write a poem. But by playing with colours and designs I will create carpets which I think they might make human beings happy.
