Sema Yekeler Yurtseven

Sema Yekeler Yurtseven is an illumination and miniature artist with over twenty years of experience.

She completed an illumination programme launched as an initiative from the Culture and Tourism Ministry for Miniature paintings. She received her certificate from the education department within the Topkapı Palace and graduated from the programme ranking her first. Sema later completed her illumination master’s degree in 2014 at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakfi University.

With a keen interest in Islamic manuscripts, Sema’s master’s thesis was titled “Qur’an Manuscript written by Sheikh Hamdullah for Bayezit II in terms of Ornament”. She later completed two years at the Turkish Parliament Yıldız Şale Miniature Education centre. Sema is currently pursuing a PhD in the field of illumination at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul.

Sema has taken part in many projects both at home and abroad and has held multiple exhibitions in Istanbul. She designs Turkish motifs with a modern perspective by using various techniques on handmade paper made by her or sourced from other countries including Basel, Nepal and India.