2017 onwards
I have seen and illustrated flowers that hold all the colors of the rainbow.
Turkey is an iris heaven. About forty taxa grow in the magical lands of Turkey, scattered across the landscape with their glorious and most charming appearance. It is almost impossible not to be captivated by these magnificent flowers.
This is a ‘Passion Project’ that aims solely to show the beauty and importance of the natural habitats that remain, and how enchanting those lands can be when observed closely. This project may lead to a fully accomplished book or a wonderful exhibition — but that is secondary. What truly matters in this project is to see and appreciate the natural habitats that still exist, and to celebrate their richness while they endure.
With this project, I am seeking out each and every species of Iris in Turkey — a few each year. The aim is to encounter these beauties in their natural habitats, to observe and appreciate their behavior, and to create a series of paintings. While the focus is on this charming genus, the project also endeavors to convey the richness of the land by documenting the surrounding species.
There are 306 species of irises (Iris L.) recognized worldwide (Plants of the World Online, 2021). Since nearly all species are beautiful, irises have attracted the attention of scholars, collectors, and enthusiasts throughout every period of history. They are widely cultivated both as garden flowers and as cut flowers, and have always held cultural significance. In many countries, dedicated societies have been formed for the exchange of information — similar to the general “Iris Societies.” There are also economic and medicinal uses documented in the Species Group of the British Iris Society’s publication “A Guide to Iris Species: Identification and Cultivation” (1997). In Anatolia, irises are traditionally planted in cemeteries — a custom rooted in an Ancient Greek belief that irises were the messengers between the gods and the earth, travelling along the rainbow. The rainbow colors of the iris flower were seen as evidence of this connection. It is said that planting irises in cemeteries reflects a belief in guiding the soul toward heaven (A Guide to Iris Species, 1997). Navruz (Iris persica L.) and its relatives are symbols of freshness and youth in Turkish culture, and are also emblematic of the Nowruz Festival celebrated across West and Central Asia. In spring, children and shepherds gather their flowers, eat them, and regard them as the harbingers of spring (personal communication: the late H. Peşmen, 1975).
Adil Güner — Illustrated Flora of Turkey, Volume 3A
My first fieldwork was completed in 2016 alongside Adil Güner — not only my father, but also one of the leading authorities on this genus in botany. He is an iris expert who knows the exact locations of each species I am looking for, and has all the answers a botanical artist needs when working with such a particular group.
Each of these species has been painted with careful observation and with the aim of scientific accuracy, displaying every distinguishing character of the species. Each work is subsequently reviewed by my father.
I have visited many different places and encountered many different species so far, but perhaps this is only the beginning — an endeavor without end. This is a project defined not by time, but by space. Below is a list of some of my previous fieldwork trips and the iris sketches and paintings completed to date. I hope this list will grow with each passing year.
• 2026 — Rize: Iris lazica
• 2023 — Hatay: Iris unguicularis subsp. syriaca
• 2022 — Van: Iris pseudocaucasica
• 2022 — Gaziantep: Iris aucheri
• 2022 — Sason, Mardin: Iris gatesii
• 2021 — Van: Iris paradoxa, Iris polakii (synonym Iris barnumiae), Iris sari, Iris urmiensis, Iris caucasica subsp. turcica
• 2020 — Kahramanmaraş, Adana: Iris junonia, Iris spuria subsp. musulmanica, Iris sibirica
• 2019 — Kahramanmaraş, Adana: Iris reticulata subsp. isikgunerea (new subspecies), Iris stenophylla subsp. margaretiea, Iris histrio
• 2017, 2018 — Van: Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima
• 2017 — Hakkari: Iris lycotis