Hand crocheted ‘Oya’ embellished scarf. Photo courtesy Frances Ergen.
Turkish Oya – needlelace – is intrinsically linked to the history of Turkish textiles and costumes through the centuries. A visual presentation of such exotic examples will be shown to confirm this connection, along with a summary of the diverse production of Oya textiles that have been created over the ages. This will include images of clothing and fabrics from Sadberk Hanim and Islamic Museums in Istanbul as well as the Gulbenkian Culture Centre in Lisbon. Frances will present how, until recently, the use of particular motifs conveyed a hidden meaning between the village women of Anatolia, illustrated by examples from literature and her own private collection.
Frances Ergen has a background in textile design and commercial product development in Europe, before completing postgraduate research in traditional fabric techniques and costumes in Japan. She has lived in Turkiye for many years, where she became fascinated by the discovery of a multitude of handmade embellishment techniques, including ‘Oya’ needlelace. She has written articles on the history, meaning and application of Oya, and until recently, has endeavoured to work with the artisans developing new ways to preserve this technique and promote new products.
‘Oya’ edged scarves on sale in Tire. Photo courtesy Frances Ergen.
Light refreshments will be served.
Please make all bookings and payments in advance, via this website.
For further information email bookings@taasa.org.au
