Burcu Sülek’s artistic journey is a testament to transformation and creative liberation. Based in Istanbul, Sülek transitioned to contemporary jewelry after more than a decade in corporate marketing — a world she left behind to embrace the expressive freedom of wearable art. Since 2012, her practice has evolved through experimentation, sustainability, and a poetic dialogue with the layered history of her city.

Rooted in both personal memory and Istanbul’s ever-changing urban landscape, Sülek’s work embodies a deep sensitivity to time, place, and renewal. In Magnolias of Istanbul, she transforms real magnolia leaves into delicate papier-mâché jewels, preserving their imprints as a quiet act of resistance against the city’s relentless spread of concrete. Each piece becomes a tactile fossil — an invitation to carry a fragment of Istanbul’s vanishing green spaces and to reflect on the fragile balance between nature and urban life.

The Magnolias of Istanbul — Golden Horn edition extends this reflection, drawing inspiration from the city’s rich artistic heritage and the iconic Haliç motif found on 15th-century Iznik ceramics. Collaborating with miniature artist Onur Hastürk, Sülek infuses her work with luminous detail, weaving together past and present through material and motif.

In her Reborn collection, Sülek celebrates life’s perpetual renewal. Each piece is a meditation on transformation — a reminder that we are all unfinished, ever-evolving works in progress. By upcycling materials and embracing unconventional processes, she challenges traditional notions of preciousness, turning discarded elements into symbols of resilience and hope.

“Contemporary jewelry grants me the freedom to create without boundaries,” Sülek reflects.

Her work resonates with collectors and art lovers worldwide, offering not just adornment, but an invitation to honor memory, embrace change, and find beauty in what is often overlooked.