A Living Archive — Layers of Time in Tufted Form
A reflection on time, material, and aging—Diala Alken’s tufted work for EgeArt, where architecture and nature merge into a living archive.
EgeArt, initiated by Ege Carpets, brought me into a process where material, concept, and interpretation could unfold freely. Each of us received a curated box - colours, textures, and a guidance card - not as a set of instructions, but as a point of departure. What emerged was a translation of our individual narratives into tufted form, allowing art, interior design, and craftsmanship to meet on a shared surface. For me, it became a way to tell a story about time.
When I first read the brief Nature and Layers of Time, I immediately thought about the beauty of aging. At that moment, I was visiting my hometown for the first time in years. I found myself drawn to the traditional courtyards at the center of people’s homes; spaces organized around a fountain that feels like a quiet heartbeat. There, I began to notice how materials slowly and patiently record their history. The pale halos left by constant water flow, the moss tracing lines of moisture, and the rust forming around metal fixtures revealed a gentle, ongoing collaboration between nature and architecture. Above, the dome - uneven, stained, and imperfect - echoed the same process. It showed me a beauty that comes from endurance rather than from perfection. I started to see every surface as an archive.
Time softens edges, deepens character, and allows the built environment to merge with natural processes. What we often read as decay began to feel like enrichment, a rhythm of renewal that connects past and present. Through tufting, I translated these observations into a tactile landscape. The piece carries a living patina, holding memory, transformation, and material in one continuous surface. It is my way of honouring the marks that time leaves behind and the quiet life that unfolds within them.