In Focus: Nazli Öztürk
Ever wanted to decorate your house with a rug that stands out and catches everyone’s eye?
Rugs’ Lover
Say you’re a huge Zidane fan, wouldn’t you want a customised rug of him, and take your living room to the next level while you watch football games?
Well, we got you covered. Indeed, few days ago we had the pleasure of (virtually) sitting down with the mind and hands that create such art pieces.
Nazli, aka @nzlozzturk, is a creative mind that used her passion for football to start crafting something pretty unique.
Nazli’s rugs have indeed gone around the world lately, thanks to their uniqueness and beauty, so we wanted to know more about her story while discussing her passion for the beautiful game.
Back to Basics
Hi Nazli, first of all thanks a lot for taking the time and speaking to onetwo. I’d say let’s start from the basics and give us a brief introduction about yourself, what do you think?
Thanks to you guys, it’s a pleasure talking to onetwo and I really appreciate your interest in my work!
My name is Nazli, I am 36 years old and I live in Istanbul. Originally I was a sportscaster, and nowadays I focus mainly on two things: filming sports documentaries and weaving rugs.
Great! Now an easy but not so easy question to keep warming up. What is your first memory when you think about football?
Not an easy question at all haha! I’ll have to go back quite a bit on this one.
So I’ve been interested in football since I was very young.
A huge Galatasaray fan, I went to the stadium for the first time when I was 10 years old. At that time, Gheorghe Hagi had just joined Galatasaray.
My very first match at the stadium coincided with his Galatasaray debut, and I could not have asked for anything better.
The moment I stepped inside and saw that magical green grass for the first time, I was enchanted.
It was quite a moment for a little kid like me.
The whole stadium was shouting Hagi’s name in unison, and I was very impressed with this enthusiastic love of so many people for just one person. Even after all these years, I still remember that feeling on my skin as if it was yesterday.
Origins
Wow, it does sound magical and we can only imagine the atmosphere inside the stadium!
Now, here at onetwo we like to talk about those stories that connect football to different facets of mainstream sports and culture, so it’s time to talk about you story. How did you start creating these art pieces and which was the first one?
I started weaving my first carpet two years ago. As with many passions, it actually started as a hobby when I found myself bored at home during the pandemic era.
The more I got into it, the more I liked it. I spent hours researching on the internet and watching videos to develop my skills and get better at it. For example, since this is not a professional occupation in Turkey, I had my products brought from the United States as a result of long research.
I created many different designs at first, trying to understand how the process worked and how I could improve. But the first carpet I weaved in the shape of an the athlete was very special, and represented a very special player indeed: it was a Roberto Baggio carpet.
This is so cool Nazli, we could tell there was a lot of love and dedication behind this amazing pieces you create, and now we know it for sure. And that Roberto Baggio carpet, let us tell you it’s a real gem!
Let’s talk a bit about the creative process behind your work: how is the process when you think about how to create a rug? Which tools and materials do you use? How long does it take?
I usually produce carpets based on the orders that come in. For example, if the customer has a specific request, I first try to understand if that design is applicable to the carpet.
If it is not, I use the help of a friend of mine who is an illustrator, and together we make the image suitable for weaving.
As I weave the carpets of iconic athletes, I strive for the outcome to be close to perfect, which means the pressure on me is high!
When it comes to tools and material, I use a 2.5 kg tool to weave the carpet that is called a tufting gun. Also, since the wool determines the quality of the work very much, I carefully select the wool I use and make sure it’s 100% acrylic.
Coming to the production process, this may vary depending on the size and details of the design. There are steps such as weaving the carpet, glueing the back, shaving and so on, so it is a tiring and demanding job that requires patience and precision.
The key is not to have any hurry.
Indeed, usually a carpet can take at least 10 days to be created. For large ones, the duration can go up to three weeks!
The Favourites
That’s really interesting, and we can definitely see the long hours work you put in each of your art pieces. You’ve done quite some customisations as of today, do you have one that you’re most proud of?
Thank you! Actually, there is no specific rug that I am most proud of. The production journey is different for each one, and the way they make me feel is very special.
I am very excited about the idea that a product I made with my own hands will accompany other people's lives. Every time I simply try to do better than the previous one, and I try to be proud of myself.
And you should Nazli, really, because these rugs are simply unique. Is there any specific rug you’re planning on creating next?
As I said at the beginning, I am a Galatasaray fan. We have superstar players in our team this season, like Dries Mertens and Mauro Icardi.
It's a pleasure to watch them playing for my beloved club. Napoli won the league after many years and I know how special Napoli is for Mertens and the emotional connection he has to the city and the club. That's why I weaved him a rug from his time at Napoli, specifically for the title.
And I want to weave a special rug for Icardi too, in this case in memory of Galatasaray's title, since he has already become one of the icon players for us.
‘El Diez’
Just beautiful! And honestly we’re now curious now to see these rugs. With results like these, did any player, club or brand reach out to you to realise a specific project or request?
Yes! For example, Necati Ateş, one of the unforgettable Galatasaray strikers, is a big Maradona fan. The first Maradona rug I weaved was for him.
After sharing the work on my social media account, I received great attention from Argentina and Napoli fans. Likewise, the Messi carpet I weaved during the World Cup was very popular and demanded.
Apart from this, I had a collaboration with Adidas, as well as different brands and names that I come in contact with. There are good premises to collaborate and do cool projects together in the future.
If we can say, those Maradona and Messi rugs are indeed two beauties, no wonder they were highly requested!
And if we dare you to dream, what would be your biggest desire connected to your passion?
It is already very pleasing for me knowing that the products I make reach people in some way. I don't like to block myself. This is not my mindset because sky is the limit.
But if I had to dream, if one day I’ll have to make a carpet for Rafael Nadal and Michael Jordan, yeah, I think that will be the day I can die of happiness!
We keep all our fingers crossed for that to happen, it would be insane and you definitely deserve it. One last question before we let you go, what exciting projects do you have coming up?
I would like to reach the global level on this job. If I stay in touch with the clubs and brands in the way I wish, I will keep on weaving carpets for many clubs and athletes.
We thank Nazli for her time, we genuinely loved talking to her and getting to know her incredible talent.
We can’t wait to see what’s coming her way, as we’re sure it’s gonna be huge (Rafa Nadal and Michael Jordan, you’ve been warned)!
Check her wonderful work and make sure to follow her journey here: @nzlozzturk
