The approach to ceramics in modern sense, as pure art form, thus liberating the clay from its traditional, functional and decorative values and use it as a medium for free expression is quite new. The pioneers in this field was Ismail H. Oygar, Hakki Izet and Vedat Ar. Starting from 1949 on, dominant modes of Western art had impact and brought modification on the works of the artists.
Experimental approaches for the synthesis of old and new were reflected in the works of Fureya Koral and Sadi Diren.
In broad classification, the group of artists followed the pioneers found identity by rejecting the tradition.
Ceramic artists today feel free to use every media to express their ideas and emotions without the social, cultural and technical limitations.
The traditional pottery making continued in its own way (realm) in little villages and towns. These workshops are founded all over the country in the regions where raw materials can easily be found, such as Kutahya, Kinik, Canakkale, Konya and Cappadocia regions. Traditional Kutahya tiles and decorative pottery though not always in the same quality, had shown continuity in production.
TUNA SERAMIK-BURSA .............................. Ref. Turgut Tuna
IZNIK FOUNDATION .............................. Ref. Dr. Faruk Sahin
KINIK KOYU ..............................
Tel: 0.228.383.60.26
0.228.383.60.99
AKKOY-EZINE-CANAKKALE
Institutions of various levels such as vocational high schools and technical colleges provide ceramic education before the university training. Four years of university education and graduate studies with two years of MA and two years of Ph.D. programs are given at the universities below;
HACETTEPE UNIVERSITY - ANKARA
Faculty of fine Arts
Ceramics Department - BEYTEPE - ANKARA
Ref. Prof. Hamiye Colakoglu - Chairperson
Tel: 0.312.235.25.38
Fax: 0.312.235.28.89
Artistic Ceramics and Ceramics Design programs are within the curriculum of these Universities (Ref. to University Catalogues).
Wide range of researches, dissertations presented on ceramic art, design, technique and historical studies can be found at the Institute of Social Sciences or at the Fine Arts Institutions of the universities mentioned above.
Also, publications of TURKISH CERAMIC SOCIETY as exhibitions catalogues and congress books, as well as its own magazine "SERAMIK" can be found from its own office.
International activities for ceramics have mostly been organized by the universities. The most significant ones were the organization of two extensive exhibitions for the occasion of General Assembly Meeting of International Academy of Ceramics in Istanbul 1992 by Mimar Sinan University, Ceramics Department. The following international exhibitions were "Modern Tulip Vase" shows in Istanbul and in Haarlem-Netherlands 1994 and "Coffee Ceramics" in Istanbul 1995, organized by the Ceramics Department of Mimar Sinan University.
International Academy of Ceramics-(Geneva) (Consultative Status Switzerland of UNESCO) has individual and institutional members in Turkey.
Artist Members;
Prof. Sadi Diren, Prof. Jale Yilmabasar, Filiz Ozguven Galatali, Bingul
Basaran, Prof. Beril Anilanmert and Seyma Reisoglu Nalca.
Organization of international workshops within Turkey had been of great interest lately. The most recently organized ones were, in Can, July 1997 by the Kale Group of Companies (Canakkale Ceramics Factories) and 9 Eylul University in Izmir in September 1997. Both activities have been host to fourteen foreign artists.