CLARKSVILLE, Tenn (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Through January 12, 2020, Customs House Museum & Cultural Center will feature the sculptural dresses of nationally acclaimed artist Belgin Yucelen.

The exhibition, titled ‘Semblance,’ consists of garments portraying a past culture’s sophistication. Yucelen creates her dresses similar to the Turkish styles of the 17th-19th centuries using traditional techniques and materials from Turkey and other parts of Asia to add embellishments to the metal dresses.

Belgin believes clothing to be a visual metaphor for identity. This communication through the language of clothing epitomizes our modesty, social status, and addresses the themes of place, memory and family and opens up possibilities for disguise.

The garments are currently displayed in the Museum’s Josten’s Gallery, suspended freely from the ceiling so as to create shadows to highlight the adorning embroideries and jewels. One such piece, titled ‘Silk Robe with Tulip, features a turquoise flower prominently standing out from the shadowed image.

“I chose the color of turquoise because it was widely used in the Ottoman tiles and pottery,” says Belgin. “As a gemstone, turquoise was originally mined in Persia and traded along the Silk Road through Turkey to Europe.

Belgin Yucelen studied sculpture at the Florence Academia D’Arte in Florence, University of Colorado Boulder, Art Students League of Denver and Scottsdale Art School.  She is a recipient of grants including the 2018 Moon and Stars Project Grant, 2017 and 2018 Fellow by the Clark Hulings Fund, 2018 Kristal Martı award by KALID, 2017 Tending Space Fellowship for Artists by Hemera Foundation, and she is a National Sculpture Society elected member.

Her work has been publicized in Fort Morgan Times, Pittsburgh Articulate, The Tribune Review, Les Femmes Folles, the Daily Camera, Chicago Reader, The Examiner and Reporter Herald. Yucelen is the founder of House of Serein, which is a creative space designed for community use and studios for artists and freelancers in Boulder, Colorado.

Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is located at the corner of Second and Commerce Streets. They are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m-5 p.m, and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. For more information, visit them online.