FULYA DAMGACI
DESIGNER AND THE MAKER
"Jewellery is a very personal way of expressing yourself, of being different to everyone else. I like jewellery to be very personal, to speak without words, and bring you joy when you wear it."
Fulya Damgacı jewellery is fashioned from sustainable yet haute materials such as porcelain, bronze, glass and semi precious stones but there's also a very human quality to her intricately crafted designs. Fulya believes that jewellery should inspire the wearer with energy, with her pieces offering a playful, personal, and highly artistic take on contemporary jewellery.
This personal touch comes from a jewellery-making process that's grounded in traditional craftsmanship. Fulya, herself describes her jewellery pieces as "miniature sculptures." Working with sustainable and unexpected materials, crafted in ancient Grand Bazar of İstanbul Fulya hand-sketches and hand-carves the initial idea for each piece in clay.
The artistic sensibility comes from Fulya's background; born &raised in İstanbul, Fulya studied fine arts before working in fashion industry for almost 20 years. Moving to South Africa, Cape Town made her launch her brand in 2016 and now she is back home creates jewellery and sculpture from her studio in İstanbul.
Her heritage can be found in her jewellery today, with the country's rich art history one of the many influences on her work. This journey makes the product unique with an utterly different story.
"For me, jewellery and porcelain are intrinsically connected. Clay and metal work are symbiotic. " she says.
"Both are materials for three dimensional design and porcelain is the material that truly elevates a piece."
