Şifa Toptaş

Şifa Toptaş was born in Istanbul in 1981. She started learning illumination art (Tezhip) with Serap Bostancı at the Birlik Foundation in 1995. She then attended an illumination class at the Topkapı Palace Museum, and worked with Semih İrteş, Mamure Öz, Serap Bostancı, Sevin Kayaoğlu and Birsen Gökçe. After finishing a class, Toptaş continued to learn illumination art from Selap Bostancı in the Hekimoğlu Alipaşa Library for 4 years. Toptaş also learned miniature art from Orhan Dağlı, and obtained her professional license in flower miniatures. She taught illumination art at the İSMEK Art House for 3 years. In 2006, she founded the Şifa Art House in Sultanahmet in Istanbul. She has participated in more than 30 group exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. Currently, Toptaş continues to work at her workshop, and teaches at the Birlik Foundation and Ebru Vefa Foundation.

Reference: basariligencler.com, kalemguzeli.net, klasikturksanatlarivakfi.com, İstanbul’un Ustaları (Istanbul: İstanbul 2010 Avrupa Kültür Başkenti, 2010), p. 195.