Jewelry sale in London

Get Ai Kijima's latest jewelry collection from September on at SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP LTD pop ups and private sales in London, United Kingdom.

SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP LIMITED

Image courtesy of SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP

About "Protect"

Protect, 2016
Hand applique, bead embroidery, sequin embroidery

As with all my work the process involves a number of steps. The first and most important of which is collecting the materials. Almost all my materials are second hand. For the work "Protect" many of the materials are original and handmade. And even the ones that are machine made are specific to a small region, namely Turkey / Central Asia. These are not pop culture images, they are more intimate private images that a single person put their thought and their soul into creating. I have then collected them and reimagined them into yet another handmade work. So it is a process of passing down ones own desires, expressions and realizations of what it is to work with hand made textile tradition.  

Protect, detail

Protect, detail

Protect, detail

Protect, detail

One of the major things I was thinking about while making "PROTECT" was that in almost, if not all cultures, women play a major role in creating textiles. That is certainly true in Turkey and Central Asia. These textiles, when made by hand, are a symbol of the self expression and the self realization of the woman who made the work. At the same time that self expression serves a very practical purpose, if they are making rugs, wall hangings, dresses, tablecloths, etc. it is something that helps in the greater good of the family. It protects. Yet at the same time it is creative, it is a release, a form of private dialogue that helps them to express things that perhaps they can not with words. The work "PROTECT" is meant to create a voice for women who have found their personal expression in textiles. However silent or loud that voice is simply depends on how you look at the work. 

Little Hagia Sophia Flooding

Just down the hill from the famous Hagia Sophia, there is beautiful Little Hagia Sophia, a former Byzantine church that currently functions as a mosque. 

In the courtyard of Little Hagia Sophia, several artisans who are pursuing their passions for Turkish traditional crafts such as Iznik tile, Block print, Mother of pearl inlay, Jewelry, Glass art…etc have their own small workshops where visitors can buy their handmade products directly from them. 

They are my friends and they got serious flood damage in their workshops after the record heavy rainfall in Istanbul 4 days ago… 

If you happen to be in Istanbul please visit and buy their original handmade products to support them and keep the traditions alive. 

K Art Studio (Iznik Tile)  https://www.instagram.com/k.a.ist
Tahsin Istengel (Block Print) https://www.instagram.com/tahsinmeister_studio_