NEWS

Istanbul Nisantasi University Maslak NeoTech Campus hosted the personal design exhibition titled “IZ-DUSUM” by Assist. Prof. Dr. Nursen Geyik Degerli between March 6–16, 2026.

The IZ-DUSUM exhibition is an interdisciplinary design project that focuses on transferring the visual memory of a specific period onto another time and material. The exhibition is based on the transformation of the color blue—once considered a “noble and unattainable” symbol of luxury—into denim, one of the most democratic and widely used materials today. Bringing together the ancient Anatolian block-print motifs and denim fabric, a symbol of modern clothing culture, the project synthesizes palace aesthetics with street culture, and rigid industrial textures with flowing and loose garment forms. While questioning the place of traditional handicrafts in modern textiles, the project aims to transform the aesthetics of the past into a contemporary design language.

The Memory of Blue and Craftsmanship Left Its Mark

Taking visitors on a historical journey from the ancient indigo blue of Anatolia to today’s denim culture, the exhibition attracted great interest from art enthusiasts, academics, and students. The collection, in which stylized and anonymous Anatolian motifs were stamped onto denim surfaces using wooden molds carved from linden wood, reopened the discussion on the role of craftsmanship in modern textile design.

An Interdisciplinary Achievement

In the exhibition, whr traditional kaftan forms met modern silhouettes, it was emphasized that design is not only an aesthetic result but also a process of “resistance” and “memory” at every stage—from sewing to printing, from washing to stamping. The works exhibited in the NeoTech Campus Foyer Area for ten days once again demonstrated the sustainability of traditional Turkish textile art in the modern fashion world.

We would like to thank al our guests who visited the exhibition, our academic staff for their support, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Nursen Geyik Degerli from the Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Textile and Fashion Design, who brought this project to life.