Every year, Hakan Kilic and his family gather in Turkey’s Yalova province to celebrate the birthday of his late mother-in-law, Katalin Kollar, beside a unique and deeply personal portrait—one created using her cremated ashes.
The idea came from Serap Lokmaci, an artist who occasionally works with sand for her drawings. Upon learning that Kollar had been cremated in Hungary, Lokmaci suggested using a portion of the ashes to paint a portrait. Initially, the family had planned to scatter Kollar’s ashes in the Bosphorus Strait, but after hearing Lokmaci’s proposal, they chose to preserve some for this special artwork.
“At first, it felt strange to have a portrait made from her ashes in the house,” Kilic admitted, revealing a second portrait of Kollar painted just last week. “But over time, we got used to it. Now, it feels like she is still with us.”
Each year on Kollar’s birthday, the family takes the portrait down from the wall, places it at the head of the table, and celebrates with a small cake and candles. “My little son even blows out the candle,” Kilic shared.
For Lokmaci, painting with ashes was more than just an artistic process—it was a spiritual experience. In her studio in Urgup, a town in Turkey’s Nevsehir province, she carefully applied the ashes onto the canvas, describing the experience as a “farewell ceremony” and a “spiritual journey.”
“The most profound part is witnessing a form of existence after death,” Lokmaci said. “Sometimes, I even see her in my dreams after finishing the work. It stays with me for a while.”
This unique tribute serves as both an artistic innovation and a heartfelt way to keep Kollar’s memory alive within her family.
