Meet Bercem Ipekbayrak | Self Taught Metalsmith

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bercem Ipekbayrak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bercem, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
The words of Rumi : ” Respond to every call that excites your spirit ” , i find this as a great example to explain the reason to keep going or let it go.. If it makes you feel that fire within which sets you free, makes you feel like you can move mountains just to continue what you love doing then it will be worth to try over and over again. If there’s no joy, no growth or intense emotions I feel like that’s a sign to channel that knowledge and energy to something different.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Everything has a potential to become something else, something beautiful, powerful and unique. I got into metalsmithing out of curiosity and I wanted to transform basic materials into wearable pieces. It’s so inspiring just to be able to turn a piece of scrap metal into a wearable ornament that can actually become a special gift for somebody, bring joy and become a memory. I still remember the pieces I made from a few years ago when I started experimenting on how to solder, cut and shape metals. At first the main reason was I just wanted to be free to create what I want! It is such a liberation to be able to create exactly what you imagine in your head, like writing all your thoughts on a paper, then you’re free of them and you can see them, they’re no longer just voices.

By time this feeling kept growing, so did my ideas and I realized the bond it created when I gifted a jewelry I made to a friend. Or how somebody felt so connected and powerful wearing a jewelry i made.That gave me another purpose and another dimension to creating : Empowerment!

Jewelry is very intimate, it carries memories, emotions, brings power and comfort. Some people never change a pair of earrings they wear and without them they’ll feel naked. Some on the other hand, express themselves through jewelry by reflecting their inner world through the designs they wear. It can be colorful, powerful or delicate and dainty.

My purpose in creating is to connect, inspire and empower. This became more intense and clear with the passing of my girl Bia. So many times I was about to give up because of the challenges as a creator, not feeling truly satisfied with my work, scared of taking risks to grow, comparing myself and my creativity to others.. I’ve been learning to keep going scared, keep going in sadness, grief or joy.. As long as I feel the fire and I can fan the flames of others..

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
That would be a fun and adventurous experience as I’m quite new to TX. So there’ll be lots of discovering places I’ve never been and places i enjoy going. We would be eating in Deep Ellum several times for sure. One of my favorite restaurants there is Shoals, their vegan empanadas are incredible! Followed by Emporium Pies! There would be a few museum visits like DMA, Nasher Sculpture Garden, Modern Art Museum of FW. A little picnic in the Botanic Garden would also be nice on a warm day. A road trip to Waco is a must too!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well that’ll be a long list of women who’s been supporting me and others and I find very inspirational. Tiffany owner of Honey Suckle Rose Vintage has been a massive support I can’t pass without mentioning and Felicia who actually nominated me for this article. So all the women who know me and reading this, I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. And of course a big shoutout to my girl Bia, she is also the name of my business. Bia is my German Shepherd who passed away recently and what kept me going is the love and respect I have for her, to honor her name with beauty and empowerment in every piece i design, i think of her and push further to be better at what i do that’s carrying her name!

Website: www.biasoulstudio.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biasoulstudio/