ABSTRACT & CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ARTIST 

Ulaş Bakır began his career in the textile industry between 1999–2003. His first major professional experience was in a 2,200-person production facility that manufactured lingerie for the Victoria’s Secret brand. In this facility, he worked on developing data analysis, production flow tracking, and quality control systems across a 600-person sewing and manufacturing line. Through this process he gained advanced technical knowledge and experience in textile production. During this period, he focused on fabric types, color harmony and stitching methodology — and began to perceive the textile world not only as production, but also as an artistic foundation.

Over time, Bakır removed the boundaries between painting and textile, creating his unique visual language. He discovered that garments gain identity not only through sewing, but through artistic intervention. Working in Pop Art, Abstract and Expressionist styles, the artist produces original wearable-art pieces using hand-painted techniques, collage, stitching and mixed media applications on jackets, t-shirts, sweatshirts and various textile forms. By repurposing and recycling fabric pieces, he creates designs that unite sewing and painting into one artistic expression — forming a signature language that merges fashion and fine art.

With this interdisciplinary approach, Ulaş Bakır eventually transitioned his textile-based research onto canvas, further developing his pop and abstract painting practice. His canvas works quickly drew attention within the contemporary art scene, and his solo exhibition at Gamma Gallery (Istanbul/Taksim) received significant impact and nationwide media coverage including CNN Türk, Habertürk, Hürriyet, Sabah, Milliyet, Şamdan and leading art/fashion magazines.

Bakır’s work also gained attention internationally, attracting interest from galleries in the United Kingdom and the United States. At the end of 2019, he participated in Miami Context Art Fair with six original works — and all of them were sold during the exhibition period. This milestone not only became his first major international exhibition experience, but also marked the moment where his art began to be recognized by international collectors.

His wearable-art designs and textile works began to be exhibited in New York streets, premium boutiques and private collections. In Türkiye, he participated in major exhibitions in Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara and Bodrum — including Contemporary Bodrum. His designs, showcased in prestigious art boutiques in Nişantaşı, attracted strong attention from both local and international collectors.

His artistic fashion creations have also been embraced by well-known artists in Türkiye. In Eurovision 2023, he designed the stage costume for Albanian singer Fifi.

Bakır also undertook the costume design of more than 80 male and female contestants in the Fashion TV beauty competition for two consecutive years.

Ulaş Bakır’s artistic journey is not only based on practice, but also on a long-term learning and research process. Between 1999 and 2015, he worked with numerous textile companies, provided consultancy, and external production support — gaining extensive experience on fabrics, color, texture and form. The studio he founded in Istanbul became a production laboratory where textile and painting merged; and today, he continues this hybrid production method in his new studio in the United States. These studios are not only production spaces, but also creative laboratories where the artist continues his artistic development.

Following his international artistic accomplishments, Ulaş Bakır was officially honored by the United States Immigration Services with the “O-1 Extraordinary Ability Artist Visa,” and currently resides in New York. Recognized by the United States as an “artist with extraordinary ability,” Bakır holds the legal right to live and work in the country under this prestigious visa category.

The O-1 visa is granted only to artists who meet specific criteria at an international level. Among these criteria are: high level of income, participation in major organizations, international media presence, collaboration with reputable institutions, and documented artistic achievement. Bakır successfully met all six criteria — officially beginning his artistic career in the United States at an international professional level.

Today, Ulaş Bakır continues to produce in both contemporary art and fashion; consistently eliminating the boundaries between textile and painting to develop his unique visual language. His artistic style merges color, texture and composition — emphasizing the idea that “fabric can be a canvas, and a canvas can become a garment.”

Artistic Vision & Philosophy

Ulaş Bakır’s artistic vision focuses on exploring the intersection between material and emotion. By combining the tactile nature of textile with paint and expressive energy, he removes the borders between fashion and contemporary art. His works transform garments into living canvases and canvases into expressive textile forms. Each piece examines the relationship between identity, transformation and creative freedom.

Exhibition & Collaboration Timeline