Founder · Aquascaper
Mert Yılmaz
Design direction, composition and overall project integrity. ITAC 2022 world 9th, Seachem TOP100 21st.
About
An internationally ranked studio. From the first sketch to final implementation we design underwater landscapes made for the person and the place.
About Us
An idea becomes a landscape underwater
Rooted in Takashi Amano's Nature Aquarium school, we bring Iwagumi, jungle and diorama compositions to architectural scale. Our work earned 9th place worldwide at ITAC 2022 and 21st in the Seachem TOP100.
Mert Yılmaz
The studio's story
Hello, aquarists
Underwater landscape artist (aquascaper) and creator Mert Yılmaz founded the studio in 2020, after encountering the work of the Japanese master Takashi Amano. Alongside premium planted aquarium design, the studio produces artistic compositions across several disciplines: landscapes, Japanese gardens, terrariums and paludariums.
Bringing hard materials, living plants and aquatic life together in harmony, he builds sustainable natural ecosystems; the designs have been recognised with a number of international awards.
Two separate documentaries about his work have been made by leading Turkish art and documentary directors, and he has been invited as a guest on news and arts programmes around the world.
Achievements and awards
International placements
- Seachem Aquascape Competition (SEASCAPE) — 21st in the TOP100
- ITAC 2022, The Italian Aquascaping Contest — 9th in the TOP10
- ITAC 2023, Italian Aquascaping Contest — Türkiye Ambassador
Our perspective
An aquarium isn't finished when it's built — that's when it begins
Instead of applying a preset style, we read the light, scale and architecture of the space together; hardscape placement defines the composition's skeleton.
The image a composition aims for is not the install day but the third month. We design for that day and track the system's maturation for years.
Team01 02 03
An artist's signature, a studio's discipline
Concept · Hardscape
Design Team
Style selection, hardscape composition, plant lists and lighting/CO2 planning.
Glass · Install
Fabrication Team
Zero-silicone optical glass fabrication, on-site installation and commissioning.