Şanlıurfa marbling artist Mehmet Alper Çiftçi performs the art of marbling in his workshop located in Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality Art Street.

Paper marbling is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to smooth marble or other kinds of stone.

"My greatest aim was to popularize the art of marbling," says Çiftçi who gives a different dimension to the art of marbling.

The history of marbling dates back to very old times while it was an art and business branch of the Ottoman period.

The art of marbling is usually made on paper, indicating Çiftçi, saying that he is in effort to give a different dimension to the marbling to make on felt, wood, ceramic, stone and fabrics to process this art.

Çiftçi emphasized that he does not use chemicals in his works, but uses paint made of soil, water, carrageen, rose branch, and horsehair as material.

"We can frame the work with marbling art on paper and hang it in our house. Other than that, it's not very useful," noted Çiftçi, adding that they have reflected the art of marbling on felt, wood, ceramic, stone and fabric through their work on how to develop it.

"We tried to make marbling any way we could use it in daily life. With this work, we have given the art of marbling a unique dimension in Turkey," he noted.

Saying that the art they are doing is not very well known in Turkey at the moment, Çiftçi described their goal as to introduce this art to Turkey and the world.

"We study how people can use our work, where they can use it," Çiftçi said, underlining that the marbling art they perform can be applied on everything that comes to mind, such as scarves, shawls, ties, dresses, shoes.

ILKHA