Yaş:

48

City/ District:

İstanbul / Avcılar

Phone:

0 (507) 755 84 66

E-mail:

karalardeniz@gmail.com

Deniz Karalar was born in 1978 in Bulgaria. She began engaging in amateur theater during her university years and performed in various plays. After graduation, in 2001, she started theater training at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Performing Arts Center, where she became acquainted with all elements of Traditional Turkish Theater. From 2004, she worked under her mentor Alpay Ekler at the center, focusing on Karagöz, İbiş puppetry, and traditional folk theater (Ortaoyunu), becoming his assistant. In 2005, she staged her first Karagöz play. Later, she established her own shadow theater and began performing her own plays. She participated in the efforts to have Karagöz art inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. In 2012, she was honored with the title of “Bearer of Intangible Cultural Heritage” in the field of Karagöz art. In 2017, she became a founding member of the KARAGÖZ Association and currently serves as the General Secretary on its board. She has performed Karagöz plays at numerous festivals and events both in Turkey and abroad. In 2019, she was awarded the “Living Human Treasure Metin Özlen Special Award” during the Istanbul Karagöz Festival organized by the KARAGÖZ Association. In 2024, she contributed Karagöz depictions to the 9th “Heritage” exhibition held by the Eyüpsultan Municipality. She continues her work at her workshop located at the Eyüpsultan Municipality Zal Mahmut Pasha Complex Art Center.