Turkish artist Şeyma Sezer unveils kilim paintings at Erzurum exhibition

Şeyma Sezer, a 32‑year‑old mother of two from Erzurum, has gained attention for painting Turkish historical scenes directly onto hand‑woven kilims, a technique used by only two other artists worldwide. Without formal art education, she began with embroidery designs nine years ago and shifted to kilim painting after a carpet company invited her to decorate their rugs. In about 1.5 years she produced 27 large works depicting figures such as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Ottoman sultans and folk heroine Nene Hatun.

Twenty of the pieces are on display at the historic Çifte Minareli Medrese in Erzurum for a three‑day exhibition, making Sezer the third artist in Turkey to apply brush painting to kilims. She works from home with family support, noting that each large piece can take months to complete. Local craft advocate Emre Çarıkcıoğlu praised the effort as a rare preservation of a dying art form.