In a 76-year-old workshop in Lefkoşa, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, 66-year-old craftsman Özkan Öke keeps the nearly forgotten art of wicker chair making alive. Having inherited the shop from his father, who opened it in 1949, Öke continues to handcraft durable chairs from natural materials while teaching the trade to younger generations. “A good craftsman can only make one chair a day if he works properly,” he said, noting that while plastic furniture has hurt demand, interest in traditional products is growing again. Öke proudly repairs 50-year-old chairs once made by his father, saying, “It makes me proud that the chairs my father touched have come back to life in my hands.” Though he works as a bank clerk, he calls his craft “our oxygen,” promising to continue producing as long as he lives.
Yaprak Mutlu – Lokman Sarıkurt