M. Candan Gungor's solo exhibition titled "Layers of Time" was held at DEU Rectorate Desem Foyer between 25 January and 8 February 2024. Basing her main theme on the rich culture of ceramic art, the artist interpreted the decorations and reliefs on the archaeological ceramic finds of Izmir with different arrangements.
PROF. DR. ERSOY YILMAZ
In his text “Ceramics and People,” James M. Skibo, an archaeologist specializing in ceramics, says that a non-archaeologist would probably be astonished to learn how much time and effort prehistoricists spent examining broken pottery shards. However, according to Skibo, what outsiders do not understand is that the details on each piece of fired clay are windows into the lives of those who made and used them: What did they eat? How many people lived in a house? How did they organize themselves?
In this solo exhibition titled "Layers of Time", ceramic artist Candan Gungor combined her creative side with the attitude of an archaeologist who is interested and curious about the past: The works in the exhibition are decorated with adaptations of motifs such as lotus palmettes, rosettes and waterfowl on ceramics unearthed from the oldest settlements of Izmir such as Yesilova, Agora, Smyrna and Yassitepe. The lives of the inhabitants of Izmir thousands of years ago, such as their favorite songs and foods, or a mother's concern about her child's education, were brought to the artist's works through these motifs and found a new life here. Most of the works in the exhibition are three-dimensional works that refer to traditional ceramics such as bowls or vases. Panel-shaped works, on the other hand, establish a relationship with another ancient aspect of ceramics as an architectural element. Whatever the form, the voices of Izmir's ancient residents somehow live and resonate in these contemporary ceramics. In Layers of Time, many concepts such as past, present, death, immortality, life, continuity meet on the common denominator of Izmir and gain a new form, color and content with the fire that turns clay into ceramic.
