At the Cultural Centres in Nicosia and Famagusta
By Heidi Trautmann
Döngü, the turning of the wheel, forever in
circles, but also a vicious circle, what could it be…both? Does it perhaps mean
that whenever you start working with clay, forming it and experimenting, you
cannot stop? One may believe the latter entering the exhibition, bewitched they
must have been, the twelve creators of ceramic art pieces at the Atatürk
Cultural Centre from Dec 4 to Dec 14, only a couple of days, but the exhibition will go on to Famagusta to the new
Cultural Congress and Culture Centre from Dec 17 to 27.
An exhibition by members of the Association
with Semral Öztan, President of the Association with her own studio in Kücük
Kaymakli; Hasan Eminağa and Tomrul Tomgüsehan, owners of Dizayn 74 and co-founder of the
association; Bedia Kale from the Cultural Department at the Ministry of
Tourism, Environment, Culture and Sports; Hasan Işık; Hasan Saydam, Hayal
Dimililer; Nergül Gezer Dündar;
Nevber Okur; Özge Refik Kutsay; Sinem Saydam; Osman Murabık, who is presently
learning with the masters at Dizayn 74.
The Ceramicists’ Association was founded in
1999 by just seven original members, and, when I last asked in 2012, it boasted
86 members (23 academic ceramic artists and 63 others). The current president
of the association is Semral Öztan.
A former leader of the association is Hasan
Eminağa who, with his former classmate and partner Tomrul Tomgüsehan, are best
known as the owners of Dizayn 74 in
Karaoğlanoğlu. The pottery shop, which opened on 13 October 1974, the first of
its kind in North Cyprus, also offers services to hobby ceramicists selling
clay and glazes and accepting their work for firing in the Dizayn 74 kilns.
There is the Studio at the Atatürk Meslek Lycee in Nicosia which Semral Öztan
had founded and led as head of the department until she retired from teaching,
where the members of the association can work and get their work fired under
the watchful eye of the many professional members.
Experimenting is much supported in the association,
also to awake the interest of young people for the profession. The clay they
use is clay from Cyprus. The profession of potter has been one of the oldest one
until cheap industrial china ware and plastic have started driving them off the
market. Hasan Eminağa is using every
occasion locally and abroad at trade fairs to show the work on the wheel, to
show how important for the culture of one’s country this profession is.
Sculpting with clay is becoming in demand among the students and for interior
design in architecture.
If you are interested to learn more about ceramic
art, read my interviews with Semral Öztan and the owners of Dizayn 74.
http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=7336746377
http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=8463671323
There are three works I cannot put any names on; the catalogue that was distributed was no help either.