An artist from Eskişehir transforms glass into art with his breath

After graduating from Anadolu University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Finance in 2012, Yüksel started working as a worker in a factory and was introduced to glass arts at the age of 29 with the support of a family friend.

Yüksel continued her glass art journey, which she started in her bedroom 10 years ago, by offering her works for sale on social media.

Yüksel, who gradually went out of town and promoted glass art at free stands of municipalities, opened his workshop in the historical Odunpazarı Evleri District in 2018.

Yüksel, who has also started running a cafe next to his workshop, provides glass and ceramics training to visitors.

Having produced more than 500 objects to date, Yüksel attracts attention with her original designs.

Glassblowing artist Yasin Yüksel told an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter that he has long dreamed of opening the "Art Cafe," where visitors can watch glass art while enjoying tea and coffee and experience creating their own works.

Yüksel, who stated that he trains students in his workshop, said, "My oldest student is my brother. I am currently working with my brother. I have trained four students so far."

Yasin Yüksel stated that he hosts dozens of visitors every day in his workshop, which attracts great attention in the touristic area.

Yüksel, describing Eskişehir as Türkiye's art city, said, "Art Street opened last year. People who come here are now taking cultural tours instead of exploring the natural beauty. They visit museums and take art tours. They buy art. I think we're very lucky in this respect."

Yüksel mentioned that he participated in events in different cities.

Yüksel stated that becoming a glass artist is a long process and continued:

"I'm in my 10th year now, but I'm still working on things. The learning process never ends. We can only create three different horse forms. The more realistic I am, the more lifelike the pieces become. It's hard to learn, but it comes eventually. The details are similar; the dog and horse have horizontal bodies, while the monkey and human have vertical ones. We combine the figures in very small details."

Yüksel stated that he produces products such as office supplies, jewelry and ornaments in his workshop, and emphasized that he creates different designs upon request.

Yüksel, noting that the production time for an object varies between one minute and three weeks, said, "I have a piece that I worked on for three weeks. It tells the story of my wife and daughter, and it is currently on display at the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Contemporary Glass Arts Museum."

Yasin Yüksel noted that heat of 600 to 1,200 degrees Celsius was used when shaping the glass, adding that he occasionally suffered burns on various parts of his body when the glass exploded from the high heat.