Esna Su When Turkish students were denied access to study in America in the aftermath of the Iraq War, Esna Su’s future plans were crushed. She was living in Antioch in southern Turkey, just 12 miles from the Syrian border, which was increasingly becoming home to refugees fleeing war and decided to move to London to improve…

Esna Su, whose delicate woven works decorated the party’s entrance hall, moved into Sarabande straight out of Central Saint Martins. Trained in jewelry design, Su started to create sculptural works inspired by the Syrian refugees near..."

40K Followers, 1,062 Following, 528 Posts - The Art of Knitting & Weaving (@esna_su) on Instagram: "© Esna Su breathes stories into materials to create evocative sculptures. ️Visiting Tutor @rcatextiles #CSMtextiles ️Alumni @SarabandeFoundation"

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Jewellery Artist Esna Su breathes stories into materials to create evocative handcrafted pieces. Her body of work subtly explores the issues of identity and memory and how these are shaken in the context of political instability.

Esna Su (b. Antioch, Turkey 1977) had recent solo shows include Amman Design Week, Jordan (2019); SARABANDE Foundation, London (2017); and Lethaby Gallery, London (2017). Su’s work has been presented at the Cheongju Biennale, South Korea; Shanghai Fashion Weekend, China; and Schmuck Jewelry Week, Munich, Germany (all in 2017).

Jun 1, 2022 · Esna Su, The Refugee I, 2015, paper rush, patterned fabric, bamboo thread, Crafts Council Collection. Photo: Stokes Images Ltd. At a time when innumerable Ukrainians have been displaced from their homeland, Esna Su’s 2015 artwork The Refugee I feels particularly poignant.

Central Saint Martin’s graduate Esna Su breathes stories into materials to create evocative handcrafted pieces.

Esna aims to expose the burden of displacement, creating items shaped around belongings of her family, leaving a ghost of something left behind. Craft, family and tradition are key to her practise and she uses traditional Turkish techniques of weaving, twining, and crochet that were handed down by her mother and grandmother.

The Burden by Esna Su is based on the struggle of Syrian refugees who have been forced to abandon their homes and flee conflict. Of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, many ended up in Su’s hometown of Antioch.