Exhibition by the Ceramists
Association at the Atatürk Cultural Centre
KIMLIK/IDENTITY – A
difficult question not only for ceramic artists
By Heidi Trautmann
Faces….I and You…..We….Bodies…upside
down….the new born out of the old…multifaceted persons. Then….containers and
round forms representing the world. A great variety of interpretations around
the question who am I, who are we, what is identity.
The
question was important enough for our new president Mustafa Akinci who is known
for his support of the arts to come for the opening and address the artists and
guests with his view. Also Sibel Siber, Speaker of the Parliament has joined us
to congratulate the artists, and Nilay Tuncalp, Director of the Cultural
Department who must be quite busy at the moment with the many cultural events
going on.
Semral
Öztan, President of the Turkish Cypriot Ceramists Association, opened the
exhibition. There is quite some history to look back on and here are two links
referring to some of the founder members, i.e. Tomrul Tomgüsehan (born in Lefke in 1945) and Hasan Eminağa (born in Kyrenia in 1948), there were seven in the very
beginning and my interview with Semral not so long ago…
http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=7336746377#.VYMAMPmqpBc
http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=8463671323#.VYMAxvmqpBc
The
association’s aim is to promote the profession of ceramic art, of pottery. Just
imagine, so far, and this is the situation in the 21st century, we have only
one pottery in the TRNC. They, the potters,
have to fight the cheap ware coming from China and elsewhere; Dizayn 74
is proud to produce ceramic products presenting Cyprus, hand made and hand
painted. It is also about supporting a craft that is now experiencing a rivival
in other countries, such as ceramic art in architecture.
This
year’s participants were Semral Öztan, Eser Keçeci, Mümine Özdemirağ Yağli,
Bedia Kale, Hasan Eminağa, Hasan Işık, Hasan Saydam, Hayal Dimililer, Osman
Murabık, Özge Refik Kutsay, Sinem Saydam and Tomrul Tomgüsehan.
Weeks
before Bedia Kale had told me that none of the participants had seen each
other’s work so for them the exhibition
was also a big surprise.
Different
techniques were used for the many art pieces, from work on the wheel,
hand-building to sculpting. Some of the artists had participated in the
Terracotta Symposia over the last two years.
Working
wirh clay is one of the oldest crafts and art forms, from bowls and containers
for use in household, tiles and decorative arts in the building industry to sculptures
and reliefs. It is a big help in psychiatry and education of adults and
children which is also an important activity of the association.
The
exhibition is still open until June 22 at the Atatürk Cultural Centre.