Pictorial depictions of traditional female appearances in the context of form-surface relationships

This study examines the representation of traditional women's garments in painting and how these garments are transformed into an artistic form within the context of the form-surface relationship. Traditional garments have historically been regarded not only as functional objects but also as vehicles of aesthetic and socio-cultural expression. In this context, women's social identities, beliefs, and cultural values have been conveyed through garments as a means of visual expression in art, and these garments have been utilized by artists as aesthetic materials. The field studies that form the basis of the research were carried out in Malatya Öncü Village, and both cultural and artistic data were collected through the traditional clothing styles of village women. These clothes were evaluated as elements that carry the historical and social memory of the Anatolian people, and were reinterpreted by the researcher to gain an aesthetic form. In the second part, women in traditional life and women's clothing in the traditional life style of Malatya region are discussed; field studies focused on the significance of these garments in the social and cultural context. In the third chapter, the female figure was examined in the context of the relationship between form and surface in painting; Its reflections in Western and Turkish painting are compared. In the fourth chapter, the intellectual and emotional background for the works is explained and artistic analyzes of the works are included. This structure addresses the link between traditional clothing and the researcher's personal and cultural background, revealing how these clothes are used as a means of artistic expression and emotional narrative. This thesis addresses the aesthetic function and cultural significance of traditional women's garments in Turkish painting, analyzing how these garments have been reinterpreted within contemporary art. Ultimately, the traditional clothing culture is regarded as not only an aesthetic form but also as an important narrative tool that preserves social memory and cultural values in painting. Keywords: Traditional Women's Garments, Form-Surface Relationship, Anatolian Culture, Painting.