Gözde İlkin Weaves Myth and Memory in Embroidered Paintings Ahead of Lyon Biennale

Gözde İlkin, an artist based in Istanbul, creates embroidered artworks that intertwine mythological stories with modern social issues. Her work will be showcased at the 17th Lyon Biennale, Crossing the Water, scheduled for September 2025. İlkin's artistic inspiration stems from her childhood in Kütahya, a city celebrated for its historic tile artistry, as well as from her aunt, Günhan Bozkurt, a tile artist. Her creations feature motifs of plants and animals drawn from Anatolian embroidery and weaving traditions. By gathering plants, fabrics, and stones, she allows natural dyeing processes to influence her work. Utilizing shibori techniques and natural dyes, her soft sculptures mimic stones, delving into the relationship between human and non-human elements. She cites botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer's perspective that nature serves as our oldest educator. This interview appeared in Canvas 113: Common Threads.