heykel

Heykel is the Turkish term for sculpture or statue, referring to three-dimensional artworks that depict the human figure, animals, or abstract forms. The word covers both freestanding sculpture and relief works attached to architecture. Materials used range from traditional stone and metal to wood, ceramic, plaster, glass, and modern synthetic media. Common techniques include carving, modeling, casting (notably lost-wax bronze), and assemblage, as well as contemporary practices such as 3D printing and digital fabrication.

Historically, heykel has accompanied many cultures and periods, serving religious, commemorative, decorative, and political purposes. In regions influenced by Islamic art, figural sculpture was often limited in religious contexts, while architectural relief and portrait sculpture persisted. In the Turkish-speaking world, sculpture has roots in ancient Anatolian civilizations and continued through the classical period and the Ottoman era, later integrating Western techniques and ideas during modernization in the 19th and 20th centuries. In contemporary practice, artists experiment with abstraction, public sculpture, installation, and interdisciplinary approaches.

Today, heykel remains a central medium in museums, galleries, and urban spaces, reflecting both historical legacies and innovative directions in sculpture.