"Turkish Embassy hosts Ottoman motifs painting workshop

June 2023 Traditional Ottoman motifs provided the focus at a painting workshop hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Riyadh. Seyma Nur Ulusoy, the Turkish ambassador’s wife, told Arab News: “We chose to do it in our embassy to show our guests our own culture in the best possible way and to make them feel like they were in Turkiye.”

Ulusoy hosted the women’s painting class, which was led by Turkish artist Elif Alver.

Ulusoy added: “We organized a workshop with our esteemed guests to introduce the art of tile painting, which is an important part of of our culture.

“She (Alver) is a painter who has had a talent for painting since her childhood and improved her talent at university.”

Many of those attending Thursday’s event included owners of art galleries, influencers, and wives of ambassadors and deputy ministers of Saudi Arabia.

Instructors highlighted the significant role that the technique of painting Turkish tiles had played in the history and art of Turkiye.

Ulusoy added: “Normally every tile is made by hand on raw ceramics and the art is made by painting motifs that carry meanings. The tiles are then baked in ovens. But today we completed our workshop by painting the tile art motifs on canvas.”

After their introductory talk — which explained the history and culture of the art technique — guests then chose the colors they wanted for their canvas, with Alver instructing them on the way.

Ulusoy said: “We chose tile art because it is a very well-known and widespread art form in our country and the world. “It has also had a history of more than 1,000 years in our country and was carried to very high levels in the Ottoman period.”

Each guest signed their canvas after completing their work, and the workshop came to an end with the serving of traditional Turkish dishes.

Ulusoy has hosted many such events in the past, including a cooking class last year which celebrated Turkish cuisine."

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