BEDİA ÇOLAK
Reading the History of Furniture and Interior Architecture in Turkey through Oral History Method
Following the DATUMM 'Documentation and Archiving - Modern Furniture in Turkey' project (datumm.org), which focuses on researching, documenting and archiving modern furniture in Turkey and was granted trademark registration in 2015, the DATUMM Research group, which focuses on the professional life of interior architects-designers who have made significant contributions to both fields with their comprehensive productions in the years when furniture and interior architecture education was established with the project 'Reading the History of Furniture and Interior Architecture in Turkey through Oral History Method', is starting a new project.
This book, which is part of a series created to shed light on the professional lives of four women interior architects/designers who have come to the forefront in the fields of furniture and interior architecture in Turkey, reflected their own style and shaped these two fields, focuses on the life story of Interior Architect Bedia Çolak and her contributions to the history of design, who attracts attention with her elegant and timeless designs as well as her delicate way of production.
Although the profession of interior architecture has always been [arguably] associated with female interior designers both on a national and a global scale, their role has always been undervalued in interior architecture and design history books. When it comes to the modern period, unfortunately, it is observed that the literature is full of gaps.
While this series examines female designers’ contributions to the profession of interior architecture, their status and approaches to the 20th century-design processes in Turkey, their biographies, personalities, work lives and projects comprehensively, it also questions the pains that being a female interior designer in Turkey brought in 20th century. It is believed that this series will help the readers to internalize the historical background of this profession in Turkey as well as raising an awareness about taking place in this field as a woman.
