Community · Organisation & design
A community at TSL.
Student support, book clubs, workshops, and events. A part of my time in Leuven that has also given me a reason to explore design.
A place to find your people.
TSL supports students in Belgium with a Turkish migration background, through academic support and a sense of community. It is based in Leuven, open to everyone, and apolitical.
That takes different forms: study groups, conversations over tea, cultural activities, and opportunities to learn from one another.
My involvement
Organising a year together.
During my first term as president, our team organised 12 major events. Our largest event welcomed more than 200 attendees. We also established branches focused on academics, arts, and community activities, and launched a monthly book club that continues today.
My role includes planning activities and coordinating the team. The book club, study groups and workshops give people ways to stay involved between the larger events.
Design
An interest that grew through making.
Making posters for TSL led me to spend time researching motifs and kilims. I began bringing those forms into the designs: sometimes as a border, sometimes as a repeating structure, and sometimes as a more playful part of the composition.
It is something I enjoy exploring alongside my studies. Below is a small selection of that work.
About the motifs
Three motifs I find particularly interesting are Kuş, Hayat Ağacı and Çengel. You’ll find them in the small details of this site.
- Kuş · Bird
- Birds have varied meanings in Anatolian weaving, including happiness, love, longing and the expectation of news. Their associations depend on the bird and the context.
- Hayat Ağacı · Tree of life
- Traditionally associated with immortality and hopes for life beyond death.
- Çengel · Hook
- A motif traditionally used for protection against the evil eye.
These are traditional associations rather than fixed meanings; they vary across regions and weavers. Read more in Kilim.com’s motif guide.
A selection of my posters for TSL. Open a poster to see it at a larger size.