Berilsu Tarcan
About
I am a researcher and designer from Turkey. I studied industrial design in Turkey (Bachelors 2009-2015, MSc 2015-2017), with semesters in France and Spain. For my MSc. thesis in IZTECH, I explored craft-design relationships through silversmithing. Additionally I have a pedagogical formation degree, and worked in academia for 4 years in Turkey (2016-2020). As a designer I am interested in design-craft-making relations in society and culture.
In my doctoral research, I aim to explore human-material connections in design culture. I focus on human-material connections in design and making practices based on experimental trials and processes, to find ways to develop materials and artefacts that are more suited for living together with the world. Although designing objects/artefacts/things from human needs has been the main approach in the current design discourse; influences from more-than-human approaches amongst others emphasize the need that we should include nonhuman entities (the earth, materials etc.) in our design process. To include nonhuman entities into design, I connect nonhuman theories with traditional ecological knowledge from different geographies, which also provides a connection to older traditions and lifestyles that can make our living more sustainable today. My past design works help me with connecting my work with old traditions, such as traditional motifs from textiles.
Below is my website for selected research and design projects. My CV is attached in my profile for more detailed information.
Publications
2025
-
Alvarado, Isaac Arturo Ortega;
Rayaprolu, Suryakiran Manisha;
Rishi, Gunika;
Tarcan, Berilsu;
Trondsen, June Kyong;
Noguera, Maria Andrea Valladares.
(2025)
Inclusion as Agencies in Friction.
Diseña
Academic article
2023
-
Tarcan, Berilsu;
Pettersen, Ida Nilstad;
Edwards, Ferne Leigh.
(2023)
Repositioning Craft and Design in the Anthropocene: Applying a More-Than-Human approach to textiles.
Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal
Academic article
-
Tarcan, Berilsu.
(2023)
POST-ANTHROPOCENTRIC DISCOURSES IN
DESIGN EDUCATION: A WOOL-CENTRIC WORKSHOP.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Tarcan, Berilsu.
(2023)
Change and Transformation of Functions in Turkey’s Felt Objects.
FormAkademisk - Forskningstidsskriftet for design og designdidaktikk
Academic article
2022
-
Tarcan, Berilsu;
Pettersen, Ida Nilstad;
Edwards, Ferne.
(2022)
Making-with the environment through more-than-human design.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Journal publications
-
Alvarado, Isaac Arturo Ortega;
Rayaprolu, Suryakiran Manisha;
Rishi, Gunika;
Tarcan, Berilsu;
Trondsen, June Kyong;
Noguera, Maria Andrea Valladares.
(2025)
Inclusion as Agencies in Friction.
Diseña
Academic article
-
Tarcan, Berilsu;
Pettersen, Ida Nilstad;
Edwards, Ferne Leigh.
(2023)
Repositioning Craft and Design in the Anthropocene: Applying a More-Than-Human approach to textiles.
Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal
Academic article
-
Tarcan, Berilsu.
(2023)
Change and Transformation of Functions in Turkey’s Felt Objects.
FormAkademisk - Forskningstidsskriftet for design og designdidaktikk
Academic article
Part of book/report
-
Tarcan, Berilsu.
(2023)
POST-ANTHROPOCENTRIC DISCOURSES IN
DESIGN EDUCATION: A WOOL-CENTRIC WORKSHOP.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Tarcan, Berilsu;
Pettersen, Ida Nilstad;
Edwards, Ferne.
(2022)
Making-with the environment through more-than-human design.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Outreach
2023
-
PosterTarcan, Berilsu. (2023) More-than-human ways of thinking through felting wool. CUMULUS ANTWERP 2023 , University of Antwerp 2023-04-12 - 2023-04-15