The art of crafting is as old as the civilization itself. For thousands of years, exceptional craftspeople have created unique works, bringing out the true essence of the objects in detail. Especially today, when speed is the premium essence, the arduous task and the slow process of crafting have never become more important and rare for those who value quality.

"Gate 27" - the international residence program in which artists, designers and many walks of life meet through an interdisciplinary interaction to brainstorm and produce creative ways of addressing the global ecological crisis, has introduced the "Creative Craft Collaboration" residency project by artist Bilal Yılmaz and curator Lydia Chatziiakovou through an art brunch in their guesthouse at Istanbul's Yeniköy, a quite production space surrounded by nature. Addressing art as a research method, Gate 27 is excited to once again engage artists, researchers, and academics in a dialogue around ecology, sustainability, accessibility and local creative networks.

There is something unique about the artist-in-residence projects, which are known but not "so popular" yet. Taking the artists from their usual circle and environments, and giving them time to produce through exploration of different cultures, locations, and materials in a different city, a process of creation takes another form in artistry. It is also known that during the Ottoman Empire period, the residency concept existed.

As part of "Creative Craft Collaboration," the work "Craftsmanship in Ayvalık" an art-research mapping project, strives to activate collaborations between craftspeople, artists, and designers, leading the way to a financially and environmentally sustainable model.

The duo, Bilal and Lydia, works on making craftspersonship visible in the city, as Ayvalık appears as the first attempt, scraping the romanticized idea of craftspersonship is a long-forgotten practice. Instead, they embrace a "creative entrepreneurship" approach, prioritizing crafts' financial and cultural value in post-industrial society.

It is also important to draw the boundaries of "craft" in the words of Bilal and Lydia. Revolving around three criteria, craft refers to "knowledge that has been taught from master to apprentice; production based on natural materials and traditional techniques, and "small in place - slow in time" production methods.

In terms of crafting, creating production-oriented cooperation and dialogue between artists and craftspeople, bringing creative approaches and traditional handicrafts together under experimental productions allows international artists to discover Istanbul's rich "craft" culture, see the reflections of "crafts" on the social life and texture of the city from different angles, interacting with craft workshops and add new layers. In short, this program sees craft as part of an alternative, socially and culturally sustainable production model where artists can create concepts and realize their ideas in response to their urban experience.

The program offers different possibilities from other similar initiatives in that it enables meaningful interaction and collaboration between artists and craftspeople during research and production. Bilal Yılmaz has been conducting extensive field research on mapping the craft and its potential in creative production since 2012.

As part of their initiation, Pakistani Mahzaib Baloch, the first residency artist of the Creative-Craft Project, had a very valuable interaction with the craft culture during his two-month stay in Istanbul as part of the Gate 27 Artist Residency Program. During this time, she had the opportunity to seek guidance by meeting with the program curators, who introduced him to the local craft scene and the general approach of the residency focus through field research.

At the same time, Baloch, after experiencing the diversity and richness of production in craft workshops, combined his artistic practice with the art of Thomas Usta (Turkish word for master) one of Istanbul's most experienced inlay masters and produced a very valuable work at the end of this collaboration.

This unique piece called "Ro-Thog" consists of a copper plate carved by Thomas Usta and then artificially manipulated by Baloch to give it a patina. The work appears as a nod to the tree of life pattern which is frequently observed in traditional Middle Eastern carpets. Filled with interconnected meanings, information, and interactions, the two elements – copper and paper – are set side by side in a unique framework spanning different times, places, traditions, and generations.

Ro-thog, a word from the Balochi language, one of the oldest spoken languages of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages, refers to a type of herb in line with the floral patterns of the work.

It was quite enthralling to see the harmony between the two works – watercolor and copper plate – how they merge and complete each other in such a heavenly manner, standing as an art doppelganger.