She turned walls into canvases, decorating the village in vibrant colors
65-year-old Kudret Bodur, who moved to Evciler village in the Pınarhisar district of Kırklareli to escape the hustle and bustle of Istanbul, is decorating the walls of houses and gardens with figures.
AA
Kudret Bodur moved to Evciler village in the Pınarhisar district 16 years ago with her husband Ahmet Bodur, dreaming of a quiet retirement after working for many years at an automotive company in Istanbul.
The Bodur family quickly adapted to village life. Ahmet Bodur was elected as the village headman in the village where he was born, while Kudret Bodur continued her village life with activities such as gardening and chicken farming, which are common in rural areas.
After admiring a village with decorated walls during a holiday in the Aegean region a few years ago, Kudret Bodur decided to create similar decorations in her own village upon her return. Identifying empty walls and obtaining permission from their owners, Bodur began to add color to the walls. Bodur has been decorating her village for two years.
"I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS VILLAGE"
Kudret Bodur stated that she regrets not starting village life sooner. Expressing that she tries to convey her love for the village and its residents through her drawings and paintings, Bodur said, "I wasn't born in this village, but I am in love with this village."
Explaining that she has been decorating the village walls for two years, Bodur said that she is beautifying her village with the figures she paints on the walls.
"I WANTED TO LEAVE A LEGACY TO THE VILLAGE"
Stating that she has no formal training in painting and works through improvisation, Bodur said, "I surprise myself; I discovered later that I had such a talent, I didn't know I had it. As people show interest, I become more enthusiastic and feel the need to do more. We are all mortal, and I wanted to leave such a legacy to this village."
Inviting domestic and foreign tourists to the village, Bodur added that she has received very positive feedback.
"OUR VILLAGE IS MUCH BETTER THAN IT USED TO BE"
One of the village residents, Canan Softoruk, said that the village has become more beautiful with Kudret Bodur's paintings. Stating that domestic and foreign tourists have started coming to the village to take photos, Softoruk said, "Our village is much better than it used to be."
Another village resident, Atiye Uluçay, also stated that their village has been beautified with paintings over the last two years. Noting that the village's recognition in terms of tourism has increased, Uluçay added that they are very pleased with the work.