Yılmaz Çakmak, one of the representatives of Shukufe art, which developed during the Ottoman period, aims to carry Turkish motifs on the verge of being forgotten into the future with his work spanning weeks. In this art, flowers are depicted realistically using a fine hatching technique.
Çakmak, a 58-year-old businessman and father of three, turned to traditional arts approximately seven years ago. He began taking lessons in calligraphy (hat), illumination (tezhip), shukufe (flower art), and painting.
Çakmak, a licensed calligrapher, completed the Illumination Department of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory. He continues his education as a third-year student in the Traditional Turkish Arts Department of Kocaeli University Faculty of Fine Arts.
Yılmaz Çakmak stated that shukufe is a special painting technique that developed in the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century. In this technique, flowers are rendered with a naturalist approach. Unlike the stylized flower concept in classical illumination art, the real appearances of flowers in nature are taken as a basis.
Çakmak noted that this style became widespread with the reflection of the Rococo influence in Europe on Ottoman art. Shukufe is a term meaning "newly opened rose." Flowers stand out with a special technique depicted through two-dimensional or multi-directional hatchings.
"Art Must Make People Think"
Çakmak emphasized that the margin for error in shukufe art is quite low. "In shukufe, two, three, four, or even five-directional hatchings can be made. A very clear, transparent, and delightful painting emerges because in shukufe, there are no pictorial lines, movements, or brushstrokes. Even a tiny line immediately shows, and it's difficult to remove it. That's why it takes a bit long. In other words, hatching a single flower's painting takes 2-3 weeks," he stated.
Çakmak pointed out that the number of people continuing this art in Turkey is limited, stating that shukufe does not have a widespread educational curriculum like other traditional arts. He said that the art is passed down through a master-apprentice relationship.
Çakmak stated that he does not want to limit himself to a single art form. He conveyed that he aims to bring calligraphy, illumination, shukufe, and painting together on the same axis of thought.
Çakmak stated that doing a job very well can make someone a good craftsman, but he pointed out that being an artist requires producing thought. "Art must make people think. If the writing in a calligraphy piece, the gold in illumination, the colors used, and the flowers together create meaning, then we can speak of art," he said.
"I Plan to Give Training in the Future"
Çakmak explained that the aspect of traditional Turkish arts that attracts him is their ability to carry thousands of years of cultural heritage to the present day. He said that a significant portion of the motifs, patterns, and symbols created throughout history have been forgotten.
Referring to his efforts to make this cultural heritage visible again in his works, Çakmak noted the following:
"We have a vast cultural heritage extending from the Uyghurs to the present day. There are thousands of years of culture and folklore. There are epics, symbols. Today, we have forgotten most of them. Some patterns that remained in our thousands of years of history... I try to use these in the works I create. An artist should have a vision and mission to make what exists visible."
Çakmak stated that he plans to give training in the future. He likened knowledge to zakat (alms), emphasizing that it does not diminish when shared; on the contrary, it solidifies in one's mind.
Stating that one grasps their own knowledge better when they start teaching, Çakmak said, "When one starts to educate, they also start to be educated. When you share, you sit and think, 'I realized what I knew.'"
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