After seven years of research, my book The Letters of Sakarya: In Pursuit of Commercial Artists and Sign Paintings was published in Turkish with the support of the Sakarya Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Unveiling the forgotten legacy of commercial artists (sign and horsecart painters) who worked in the Turkish city of Sakarya between the 1940s and 1990s, the book features over 650 photographs and archival documents.

The first section contains detailed biographies of 48 artists, compiled from interviews with their first-degree relatives and witnesses. These reveal how the tradition of lettering and painting was passed down through the generations among these artists. The second section showcases the city's typographic heritage across six categories, including nameplates, industrial zone signs, shop signs, and window lettering.

Format: 19,5x23,5 cm.
Features: 432 pages, Full color, Hardcover.
Publisher: Değişim Publishing.
ISBN: 9786253900311

Featured in
↳ Sign Design Society Newsletter, February 2026
↳ Perspektif, ARED, March 2026

Cover of 'The Letters of Sakarya: In Pursuit of Commercial Artists and Sign Paintings', documenting Sakarya's commercial artists and typographic heritage (1940s–1990s).
Interior spread from 'The Letters of Sakarya', first section: biographies of commercial artists with photographs and archival documents.
Interior spread from 'The Letters of Sakarya', first section: photographs and documents tracing the lineage of sign painters in Sakarya.
Interior spread from 'The Letters of Sakarya', first section: archival material and artist documentation.
Interior spread from 'The Letters of Sakarya', second section: examples of vernacular lettering including shop signs and nameplates.
Interior spread from 'The Letters of Sakarya', second section: industrial zone signs and window lettering from Sakarya's typographic heritage.
Interior spread from 'The Letters of Sakarya', second section: vernacular lettering categories across six typographic groups.
Interior spread from 'The Letters of Sakarya', second section: further examples of Sakarya's sign painting tradition.

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