SAZ LEAVES
One leaf, drawn again and again, side by side and one over another; as the leaves come together, they become a whole.
One leaf, drawn again and again, side by side and one over another; as the leaves come together, they become a whole.
The leaf comes from the saz style, the vegetal ornament that took shape in the Ottoman court workshop in Istanbul in the 16th century, in which long, feathery, serrated leaves move among composite blossoms, birds and cloud bands.
I take the leaf as a starting point rather than a rule: at times I keep its serrated edge, at times only its long, curving body, which I fill with fine lines. Often the leaves become the ground itself, embracing whatever comes to rest among them.
Saz Leaves: Red Tulips / bulbous ceramic vase (detail), Ø 18 cm, h. 25 cm
Saz Leaves: Istanbul Tulips / bulbous ceramic vase, Ø 18 cm, h. 25 cm
Saz Leaves: Red Tulips / bulbous ceramic vase (detail), Ø 18 cm, h. 25 cm
Saz Leaves: V / double-sided ceramic bowl (detail), Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: I / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: I / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: II / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: II / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: III / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: III / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: IV / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: IV / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: V / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: V / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 26 cm, h. 6 cm
Saz Leaves: Istanbul Tulips / ceramic vases with a globular top, each Ø 16 cm, h. 30 cm
Saz Leaves: Istanbul Tulips / ceramic vase with a globular top, Ø 16 cm, h. 30 cm
Saz Leaves: Istanbul Tulips / ceramic vase with a globular top, Ø 16 cm, h. 30 cm
Istanbul Tulips: Red Sky / ceramic tile panel (detail), h. 20 × w. 40 cm
Saz Leaves / ceramic tile panel, h. 20 × w. 40 cm
Saz Leaves: Single Pomegranate / double-sided ceramic bowl, Ø 18 cm, h. 5 cm
Saz Leaves: Bird / ceramic sculpture, h. 15 cm, w. 30 cm
Saz Leaves: Istanbul Tulips / conical ceramic vase, Ø 15 cm, h. 32 cm
