Last week, we met the general secretary of Lefka Tourism Association Nermin Şanlıdağ with whom I work with at their home in Gemikonağı. During our conversation that took place in their garden full of greens accompanied by home-made lemonade, we talked about art made from newspapers...
Before starting to talk about art made from newspapers, I would like to introduce you to Nermin Şanlıdağ who has a tragic story. She summarizes what she had been through with these words: “My parents got married in 1966 but unfortunately this marriage did not last for long. Due to internal conflicts in Cyprus back then, my father becomes a martyr in September after three months of being marriage. My mother had a married life of three months only and she was pregnant with me back then. My father knew she was pregnant one month before his death. My mother told me that he wanted to have a daughter. I was born but I could not see my father and my father could not see me. I have spent 8 years of my childhood at Bağlıköy. In 1974 we lived the lives of prisoners for 2-3 months in Lefka. Later on we moved to Gemikonağı. I graduated from the Electricity Department of Cengiz Topel Industrial Vocational High School. I got married in 1987 and I have two sons named Erdal and Ersal. I had an interest in handcrafts since my childhood. Since a young age I learned how to do lacework, crochet, petit point, etamin and calculation work. After 1996, I attended courses on handicrafts for women in Gemikonağı and Lefka and I developed my skills. For 22 years, I have been trying to produce something with sleight and thinking as a hobby. I attended sit and basket courses funded by the European Union and learned how to do that too. Again under the same prgoram I learned how to do fans and baskets from the palm branches that are common in Lefka.
Language of the newspapers
When I asked Nermin Şanlıdağ how she thought of producing something from newspapers, this was the answer I get: As far as I know newspapers are not recycled and they go to waste. I wanted to reuse them to prevent this waste. When I was zapping one day, I came across a handicraft program in a foreign channel. I wanted to try the technique of the person at the show who was folding and giving shapes to newspapers. And I tried. After starting to do it, I thought of new ideas. In time, I made baskets, plates, napkin holders, vases, fruit bowls, bread baskets, and lastly, a baby nest. And I put a doll in the baby nest. This doll has a story. In 1974, when we were prisoners in Lefka 40 years ago, I was playing a game on a sand pile. Back then everyone was using the word “loot.” As a child I kept saying that I also want a loot. A military car stopped by me one day. The commander who got off the vehicle gave me this doll that was most probably looted from another house. I was very happy. I still keep it... When I made a baby nest from newspaper I put this doll in it.
The ones who see my work don’t believe that they are made out of newspapers. They think the material is straws. So they are surprised when they see it is newspapers.
Materials needed for this are newspapers, glue and wooden skewers to wrap the newspapers. My husband Özdermir Şanlıdağ helps me in every step. Especially wrapping the newspapers in the shape of the skewers is the hardest part of this work.” I find it very interesting to give shapes to newspapers. I would like to work on bigger pieces in the future, such as chests, tables and chairs...
I think this is a first in Cyprus. In the future, I will try to keep creating art from newspapers as much as I can.
