Istanbul-based graphic designer and illustrator Eda Çağıl Çağlarırmak brings the Adidas Runners community into one of Istanbul’s most iconic spaces, painting a 4.5 by 3.1 metre mural that captures the layered spirit of the Grand Bazaar and the sense of togetherness that running creates.
The Grand Bazaar has been in continuous operation since the 15th century. Its architecture accumulates centuries of use, its corridors hold a particular quality of movement and light, and its atmosphere, the constant flow of visitors, the vibrant shops, the overlapping sounds and languages, carries an energy that feels distinctly alive. For Eda Çağıl Çağlarırmak, it was the natural location to express what running in Istanbul might feel like.
Runners at Grand Bazaar was created in 2024 for the newly renovated Adidas store in İstinyePark, Istanbul, in collaboration with Studio Mercado and produced by mural specialists Mural East. The brief was to bring to life the idea of running through this specific cultural site, placing the Adidas Runners team within its architecture and atmosphere. The bazaar’s energy, its sense of constant movement and diverse community, resonates with the dynamic of running as a collective activity, and Çağlarırmak used that connection to anchor the mural in something more than a brand commission.
“Creating Istanbul-themed illustrations is not merely a design practice for me,” she says. “It is also a creative reflection of how I perceive and experience the city I live in. I take great pleasure in translating the city’s layered spirit into a visual language.”
The mural measures 4.5 by 3.1 metres and occupies a designated wall within the store, large enough to place the viewer inside the bazaar’s atmosphere rather than simply in front of an image of it. The figures of the runners move through arched corridors and the visual texture of the market, the sense of togetherness that the Adidas Runners community is built around made visible through the setting that surrounds them.
Eda Çağıl Çağlarırmak is a graphic designer, illustrator and animator based in Istanbul. Her work spans NGOs and global brands, exhibitions and children’s books, with a consistently narrative-driven and conceptually thoughtful approach.
ARTIST LINKS
behance.net/ceee
@edacagill
Runners at Grand Bazaar, 2024. Mural, 4.5 x 3.10m. Adidas store, İstinyePark, Istanbul. Design: Eda Çağıl Çağlarırmak. Commissioned by Studio Mercado (@studiomercado). Produced by Mural East (@muraleast). Portrait photography: Adem Ince for Studio Mercado.
