ECE MARANGOZ / BABA & KIZ ATÖLYE

Baba & Kız Atelier is located on the ground floor of a former Greek house built in the 1880s, in Sakarya Mahallesi. Once used as a traditional “hayat altı” space, this area is now used as the atelier and production space.

The house was carefully restored by Ece and her father in 2016, staying true to its original character. Preserving the history of this home, once lived in by families who came to Ayvalık after the 1924 population exchange, remains an important part of the atelier’s approach.

Ece’s background in tourism and her experience-driven perspective are also reflected in the way she creates. For her, the value of an object lies not only in its function, but also in the feeling and story it carries.

Over time, Baba & Kız Atelier has evolved into its current identity. While building the atelier, recycled and reclaimed materials were used whenever possible. Today, traces of that time, effort, and process can still be felt throughout the space.

At the center of the production process is the transformation of waste paper and cardboard. Papers collected from homes, shops, neighbors, and sometimes even strangers arrive at the atelier, where they are sorted, softened with water, and broken down into fibers to become a pulp ready to take shape again.

Here, the process is seen as more than just a technical recycling method. Every lighting piece, object, or surface that emerges continues to carry traces of where it came from, along with its memory and the labor behind it.

The language of Baba & Kız Atelier leans toward what is simple, natural, and timeless. It is an approach that values the slowness of handcraft, the feel of natural materials, and sincerity in production.

Today, the atelier has evolved into an independent production space that comes from Ayvalık but does not want to remain limited to where it is rooted. For Ece, recycling is not only an environmental approach, but also a way of giving new value to the past, to labor, and to materials.