Curated by one of our country's connoisseur ceramic artists Mehmet Tuzum Kizilcan, Mehmet Nuri Gocen Kusadasi International Ceramic Workshop has made its' tenth year. Ceramic artists, pottery masters and young future artists invited from all over the world enjoyed the enthusiasm of creating together this year again.
ASSOC. PROF. DR. NURDAN YILMAZ ARSLAN Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts Ceramic and Glass Department
Organized by the sponsorship of Mehmet Nuri Gocen Culture Art and Education Association, under the curatorship of one of our country's connoisseur ceramic artists Mehmet Tuzum Kizilcan and with the contribution of Kusadasi Municipality, Mehmet Nuri Gocen Kusadasi International Ceramic Workshop hosted ceramic artists, pottery masters and young future artists invited from Turkey and several countries around the world in its 10th year.
The Association has been founded by daughter architect Naile Gocen Cukurova in 2008 after the Mehmet Nuri Gocen's decease to keep his philosophy and memory alive. "Mehmet Nuri Gocen Culture and Art Association" that comes to life with the esteemed Naile Gocen Cukurova's contribution to art and education, continues to realize responsibility projects in social, scientific and cultural areas particularly by giving education grants to young individuals who are successful but have no opportunities.
In this regard, Mehmet Nuri Gocen Kusadasi International Ceramic Workshop is held for the 10th time between 2nd-12st October 2023 in a special area of the Pine Bay hotel prepared for the workshop with the required facilities for a ceramic workshop.
Workshop banner and participants Workshop area, Karacasu pottery masters
The workshop hosted several artists from our country and all over the world and practiced by artists who are specialized in their field with alternative firing techniques together with the participation of all artists. By preparing and practicing techniques such as raku, lustre, naked raku, saga, obvara, sand firing in the workshop environment, participants witnessed the process of the journey of experimental and technical knowledge of art which turn from craft to art.
Raku firing practices Sagar firing practices
M. Tuzum Kizilcan Turkiye Naile Gocen Cukurova with her own work
On the other hand, workshops and symposiums can also be identified as open air workshop lessons in art education and bring young future ceramicists and assistant students together with experienced ceramic artists in a master-apprentice context and make an important contribution to art education. Through workshop practices, it eventualizes the process of experienced knowledge learned while teaching turning into three dimensional artworks with various shaping and firing techniques. What we also witnessed in the workshop, is the transformation of ceramic art from local to universal, from traditional to modern in cultural identity context and with this the event where all participant artists and pottery masters make their presentations after the workshop, has been taken to an important extent.
Malkhaz Shveıidze, Georgia Nurdan Yilmaz Arslan, Türkiye
Otar Vepkhvadze, Georgia Stratos Krakitsos, Greece
The first exhibition held during the workshop has begun with the "sea" themed works brought by the participants, meeting the audience in the historical place of Kusadasi Old Town Tanneries. During the workshop, the Efes, Sirince culture trip has been organized intended for all participants to get to know the historical fabric of the region. The works produced by the participants during the course of the workshop, has taken place in the closing exhibition on 11th October again in the historical places of Kusadasi Old Town Tanneries.
Danijela Piculjan, Croatia Shamai Sam Gibshs, Israel
Bugra Ozer, Türkiye Kadir Erturk, Türkiye Tevfik Turen Karagozoglu, Türkiye
Apart from the closing exhibition, and after the speeches of thanks of the Esteemed Naile Gocen Cukurova and the workshop curator our valuable teacher M. Tuzum Kizilcan, the workshop ended with a ceremony hosted by the association's young generation representator Rena Cukurova, where participants have been presented with thank you and museum collection plaques.
Sukumarl Tuk Sarakasetrin, Bangkog Ergun Arda, Türkiye
In this very regard, from the neolithic age to the present, we can explain the ceramic art's evolution from tradition to modern with ceramic's plastic expression language as a material. In symposiums and workshops, we witness ceramic's transformation from local to universal and its cultural identity content and they are gaining momentum in countries such as ours with the presence of private and institutional supports. Symposiums and workshops that are carried out with the partner projects of universities and municipalities in recent years, will continue to be the language of modern ceramic art as a cultural identity and memory in our country and in the world.
