ISTANBUL -The Mahreç Art House offers a unique experience for jewelry lovers and displays a vast collection of Hraç Aslanyan’s handmade nouveau jewels while offering an extensive education for aspiring jewelers
Shopping for jewelry can be a laborious and mind-boggling experience, especially somewhere with as much rich variety as Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Even after visiting shop after shop, you will often find a better version of the precious item you have just purchased elsewhere, for a cheaper price. But for a completely different experience, one only has to exit the bazaar and wander across the city’s ancient streets to Ca?alo?lu and the Mahreç Art House.
This quaint workshop/showroom above an old carpet shop not only boasts an exhibition of jeweler Hraç Aslanyan’s unique, handmade art nouveau designs, but offers a creative workspace where Aslanyan both crafts his own jewels and teaches his art to many aspiring jewelers in the industry.
A humble yet masterful jeweler who has been practicing his craft since 1975, Aslanyan has recently focused on educating people in his art. While he still invests much time in creating new jewelry in his own private headquarters, the core emphasis of his showroom is the workshop space for his pupils. Hanging above the students’ workbenches is a sign that reads, “Everything starts at one point and continues with a line, but it is education that is the start for shaping the creative hand that guides this line.”
Aslanyan believes there is much creative talent and potential in the Turkish jewelry industry, but one thing lacking is education, which keeps aspiring jewelers from using their talents to their full capacity. He said education is key in handcrafting jewelry because of the attention that needs to be paid to the intricate details that make up each unique item. “Over 90 percent of jewelry today is made in factories and produced en masse, and therefore unique, quality items are becoming increasingly difficult to find,” Aslanyan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
Workshops at the Mahreç Art House fall under three categories. The first is jewelry production, which involves 256 hours of workshop time; the second is shop-window jewelry, directed at the Grand Bazaar shops and covered over 104 hours; and the third is jewelry design, for 176 hours. Upon completion of the course, pupils are awarded a certificate from the National Ministry of Education.
In addition to the formal curriculum he provides, Aslanyan invites consumers into his showroom to teach them about buying jewelry. “Buying jewelry is a skill in itself,” he said, adding that many consumers these days do not know what they are buying. Therefore, it is important for them to have an understanding of the basic technical details of jewelry so they can assert an informed knowledge when buying an item.
When someone comes into his showroom, Aslanyan said he does not see this person merely as a potential buyer, but also as a friend who he can educate and discuss his art with.
It is impossible to put the Mahreç Art House in one specific category, as its art caters to every creative soul. Whether one wants to just sit in the showroom, admiring the vast range of artifacts over a cup of tea, or to participate in a vigorous workshop, the art house is open to all. More information about Aslanyan’s designs and courses is available at http://www.mahrecsanatevi.com/.
Source: www.hurriyet.com.tr/english
