Sevan Bıçakçı’s Second Look Exhibition Opens at Galataport Istanbul

İstanbul-born jewellery designer Sevan Bıçakçı is presenting pieces selected from different periods of his career in an exhibition titled İkinci Bakış (Second Look). The exhibition has been mounted in the Sevan Bıçakçı boutique housed in the historic Parcel Post Office building at Galataport Istanbul in Karaköy. Having opened its doors on 21 October 2026, it runs until 22 November 2026 and can be visited between 12:00 and 20:00. According to ELLE Türkiye, Indigo Dergisi and Marie Claire Türkiye, the event is part of the programme prepared for Galataport Istanbul’s fifth anniversary.

The exhibition is conceived less as a collection launch than as a retrospective reading. Spanning the designer’s early work to pieces produced in recent years, the selection shows internationally awarded works alongside special pieces made only once, all in the same space. Visitors can thus follow not only the individual jewels but also how a design language has evolved over the years.

A craft that stretches from the Grand Bazaar to Galataport

The designer’s starting point is the handcraft tradition of the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı). As recounted in his interview with Marie Claire Türkiye, the designer grew up in Samatya, within the historic city walls, and began an apprenticeship around the Grand Bazaar at the age of 12. ELLE Türkiye and Indigo Dergisi likewise describe his work as the product of an approach that puts the bazaar’s accumulated craftsmanship at its centre and revives near-forgotten techniques.

The best-known expression of this approach is the reverse micro-carving technique patented by the designer. In this method, also known internationally as reverse intaglio, the gemstone is carved only from its back; seen from the front, a three-dimensional scene appears within the stone. Alongside this technique, the pieces on show also feature micro-mosaic and miniature painting. In the micro-mosaics, the designer is said to work with the smallest ceramic particles possible.

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Istanbul, mythology and nature

The common thread across the sources is that Istanbul sits at the heart of the designer’s map of inspiration. The domes of Sultanahmet, Samatya and the Princes’ Islands become small urban scenes on rings and cufflinks. The Samatya Fisherman ring in the exhibition stands out as a direct reference to the neighbourhood where the designer grew up. Besides Istanbul, nature, love, mythology and different civilisations are among the themes that feed his collections.

The exhibition in the designer’s own words

In an interview published by Marie Claire Türkiye on 30 October 2026, the designer explained that the idea of such an exhibition had long been on his mind and that he wanted his atelier to be a space open to experimental work. He said that over some 25 years of production, many pieces had accumulated that, for various reasons, he could not bring himself to put on sale or put a price on, and that these are now on display.

According to details shared in the same interview, the production of a significant share of the pieces on show went far beyond the atelier’s average timescales. One piece decorated with micro-mosaic is said to have taken around 18 months to complete. The selection also includes wristwatches designed as a tribute to Ottoman watchmakers and a bracelet of unusual size. The designer noted that reverse carving is a painstaking process, that precious stones can be pierced or broken during the work or fail to give the desired result, and that trial and error is an inseparable part of the craft.

In the interview, the designer argued that jewellery should carry a story and reflect the character of the person who wears it. He added that his bond with Istanbul is reflected in his work, but that he sees these pieces not as a continuation of the past but as dreams belonging to the present. The exhibition’s name is linked to this idea: he said he hopes visitors will look at the pieces not once but more than once.

Seen from Turkey

Second Look offers a chance to see, in one place, the work of a craft-focused Turkish designer whose creations have reached collectors in different countries. Jewellery is often viewed behind glass, piece by piece and with a focus on sales. This exhibition, by contrast, shows the pieces within a production story spanning years, making visible the place of handcraft, patience and technical experimentation in fashion.

The exhibition is also a concrete example of how the centuries-old craftsmanship of the Grand Bazaar can meet today’s design language. This approach, which carries the city’s neighbourhoods, buildings and stories into small-scale works, is a reminder that Istanbul is not only a source of inspiration but also a centre of production and mastery. For those following the fashion and design calendar, the exhibition is open at Galataport Istanbul until 22 November. For the season’s other key dates, take a look at our fashion week calendar guide.

Sources

Image: Galataport Istanbul square, the Tophane Clock Tower and the Nusretiye Mosque (representative image) — Antoloji, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

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