THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF CERAMICS: SILPAKORN CLAY WORKS 2026

• One of the most prestigious international gatherings of ceramic art, the Silpakorn Clay Works 2026 Symposium, was held in Thailand between February 2-12. Prof. Leman Kalay, a faculty member of the Ceramics Department at Çukurova University Faculty of Fine Arts, who participated in the symposium from Türkiye, wrote about the event for our magazine.

PROF. LEMAN KALAY

With the first rays of February, Thailand hosted one of the most prestigious international gatherings in ceramic art: the Silpakorn Clay Works 2026 symposium. Held from February 2nd to 12th at the Sanam Chandra Palace campus of Silpakorn University, steeped in history and mysticism, this event transformed into a cultural bridge centered around clay, fire, and sharing.

An Intercultural Dialogue Platform

Bringing together artists from all over the world, from Korea to America, and from China to Türkiye, the organization has positioned ceramic art not only as a technical discipline but also as a "tool of diplomacy". The large and competent group of artists from Türkiye (Deniz Onur Erman, Hasan Başkırkan, Sercan Filiz, Melisa Engineri, Veysel Özel, Müjde Yücel Coşar, Leman Kalay, Mehmet Coşar and Nil Küçükerbaş) represent our country's academic and artistic accumulation in this field with a strong voice on the international stage, while artists from Korea, China, India, America, Germany, Israel, Australia and host country Thailand represented their own countries.

In the Turkish side of this major gathering, Mutlu Başkaya stands out, not only as an artist but also as a volunteer ambassador meticulously weaving artistic ties between the two countries. Başkaya's friendships with Sayumporn Kasornsuwan, the Vice Dean of Silpakorn University, and many Thai artists, established since 2011, her years of experience in international symposiums, and her passion for building connections between the ceramic traditions stretching from Anatolia to Asia, have enhanced the depth of this event in Turkish-Thai relations.

In addition to her own production processes, Başkaya, with her academic background and visionary approach to conveying cultural heritage, has brought together the modern face of Turkish ceramics with the deep-rooted traditions of the Far East, pioneering a way for art to leave a mark not only on forms but also on hearts.

Timeless Works and a Shared Future

Large-scale sculptures, created for permanent display on campus, have taken their place on the Silpakorn University campus in Thailand as tangible monuments to this ten-day intensive labor. The presentations by the artists and the cultural excursions organized with great effort by the faculty and students of Silpakorn University have once again proven that ceramics are a "shared memory."

Silpakorn Clay Works 2026, in the hands of artists who speak different languages ​​but communicate through the "language of clay," has prepared a fertile ground for sustainable collaborations for the future. This event has further reinforced Türkiye's pioneering role in ceramic art and this ancient friendship established with Thailand.