Zeynep Guvenc

Zeynep Guvenc is a Turkish-born Ebru (Traditional Turkish Water Marbling) artist dedicated to preserving and sharing one of Türkiye’s oldest artistic traditions through contemporary fine art and textile practice.

Working with hand-prepared pigments floating on water, she creates one-of-a-kind compositions that are transferred onto paper and silk. Every work is individually created using traditional techniques, making each piece entirely unique. Ebru is among the oldest Turkish arts, recognized by UNESCO as an element of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

While her artistic practice is rooted in traditional Ebru, she expands the medium through contemporary experimentation with silk and natural stone. Her practice today centers on two bodies of work: hand-marbled silk, in which the captured image returns to movement on fabric, and Between Water and Stone, an ongoing series of marbled compositions on naturally weathered stones gathered along the Mediterranean shores of Ölüdeniz, Fethiye, Türkiye.

Based in Cary, North Carolina, Zeynep’s hand-marbled silk scarves have been featured at the North Carolina Museum of Art Museum Store, reflecting her commitment to museum-quality craftsmanship. As a Teaching Artist at Pullen Arts Center, she introduces audiences to the history, techniques, and cultural significance of Turkish Ebru through workshops, demonstrations, and educational programs.