Istanbul, a vanishing world

 

An exhibition held at Espace Mushagalusa, Montreal – January 16 to February 7, 2017.

 

Istanbul’s long and colourful past is still evident in its architecture – from the soaring and graceful structures of Sinan, to the exquisite handwork of imperial artisans, to the warm tones of Byzantine remains peppered between buildings in the old part of the city. And then there are the interiors of former elegance, some gently forgotten . . . . 

 

This structural heritage formed the backdrop of my ten-year journey of discovery in Istanbul, using my lens to draw a little closer to an elusive and vanishing past. While the traditional neighbourhoods are shrinking or being erased by renewal, many facets of daily life from a vanishing time still linger. The faces of the people themselves tell of ancient ancestral homes in the far corners of the former Ottoman empire. The newcomers, often in forced migration, continue to arrive to this day.

 

These images are an ode to Istanbul's simultaneous grandeur and vulnerability. 

 

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