Hayri Yildirim

Biography:
He was born in Mustafakemalpaşa district in the city of Bursa. He graduated from Electrical Department of Demirtaşpaşa Industrial Vocational High School. He has been taking pictures as a hobby since he was young. He had the opportunity of taking interesting pictures abroad during the folk dances tours he took part in. He participated in various trainings at Bursa Photographic Arts Association. He currently works on nature and butterfly photos.

Exhibition: The Woodsmen
Because of the heavy rains between February and March 2015 in Bursa, many pine trees fell in the forest lands and subsequently roads got closed.

There are groups of people who migrate to Bursa to do the cleaning work in the woods. On one of my trips, I met them and immediately thought of sharing their interesting ways of living and culture.

Cafer Yıldırım from Dörtyol, Hatay and his 7-person team showed me how they perform the dangerous tasks of wood chopping, tilting, as well as separation and trimming of trees. Additionally, Mr. Hamit and Ekrem Çelen from Mersin, and Akın Çelen from Silifke, along with their families, were chopping the trees that had fallen on the roads in different parts in the area. All the work carried out was under the control of the Forestry Directorate.

Their living area consisted of the nomadic tent they covered with plastic wrap. Their short-term need for electricity was met from a tractor battery. They carried water from clean water sources with large jerry cans. Women helped their husbands both with the housework and the work in the forest.

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