Dilara Altınkepçe

Dilara was born in 1993 in Bursa. In 2011, she began her undergraduate studies at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, specializing in Carpet, Rug, and Old Fabric Designs.

 

Between 2015 and 2016, she studied Fashion and Costume Design at Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna, where she started integrating traditional arts with digital media, exploring XR and VR projects.  In 2020, she founded APPA Tiny Things Sustainability Movement and continued her artistic practice at Nelumbo Studios, which she co-founded the same year. She also curated various exhibitions within the studio.  In 2021, she pursued a master’s degree in Carpet, Rug, and Old Fabric Designs at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Institute. She participated in the 25th World Textile Art Biennial in 2022 and collaborated on "Ortak Mekik," a collective project by the MSGSÜ Carpet Studio and Koç University KarmaLab.

 

In 2023, she presented her first VR work in the exhibition "Ortak Mekik: Weaving, Natural Dyeing, and Interactive Technologies." Her works "The Grand Ritual" and "Anthrenus Verbasci VR Experience" were showcased in BASE 23, and in 2024, she was featured in the Baselected selection.

 

The same year, she completed her master’s degree with a thesis titled "The Examination of Animal Imagery as a Symbol in Anatolian Kilims." In November 2024, she held her first solo exhibition, "RE-." Continuing to collaborate with art collectives, she actively produces works that bridge traditional and digital art forms.