Sericulture in Hatay and the last traditional silk weavers

By Dr. Berna İleri (Mustafa Kemal University) & Prof. Elvan Özkavruk Adanır ( Izmir University of Economics)

Date: Thursday 15 March 2018

Time: 7 pm

Venue: 10 Maple Street, London, W1T 5HA

FREE ADMISSION but registiration required via eventbrite!

Abstract: Harbiye and Samandag are the districts of Hatay Province which are located in the Southern Anatolian Region of Turkey. These two districts have been famous for their silk fabrics for decades. However, the number of villages and families that were involved in sericulture decreased sharply from the 1980’s onwards. Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has been promoting sericulture since 2006. The main aim of this support is to achieve sustainability in sericulture. Unfortunately, there is only the Buyukasik family left who is trying to continue this profession today. In this talk, sericulture activities and the last traditional silk weavers in Hatay will be discussed.

BERNA İLERİ received her master’s degree for Traditional Arts at Dokuz Eylul University and her doctorate’s degree in Traditional Arts at Gazi University. She is lecturing since 2012 at Mustafa Kemal University in Hatay, Turkey. She has published a number of papers, articles, and book chapters including the book chapter named “Hatay’ın Vefalı Ustaları ve Hatay Elsanatları” in Asi Gülüşlüm Ah Güzel Antakya. She has also opened attended co-exhibitions. She has been working in traditional textile design, traditional silk weaving and Turkish carpet in Faculty of Fine Arts at Mustafa Kemal University.

ELVAN ÖZKAVRUK ADANIR studied textile engineering at Ege University and got her master’s and doctorate’s degree in traditional arts at Dokuz Eylul University. In 2008 she got her professorship. She has published books, papers, articles, and book chapters. She translated the book written by J. Bronowski-B. Mazlish named “Western Intellectual Tradition from Leonardo to Hegel”. Her art works are accepted for international and national permanent collections. She opened several solo exhibitions and attended mixed exhibitions. She has been teaching in Fashion and Textile Design Department of Izmir University of Economics since 2011.