Patterns, 2024

Solo Exhibition

The Elhamra Çini studio has a rich archive of patterns accumulated over the years by transferring them from masters to masters. The paper moulds are perforated with hundreds of tiny holes smaller than a needle's eye. A technique that enables the serial transfer of patterns to ceramics — the work of an agile mind. These patterns, which have been hidden for many years from the industry that does not hesitate to imitate even “handmade” and reduces everything to a material value and an object of consumption, were shared for the first time with the hope that the story of Elhamra can continue through a contemporary art form.
Unlike İznik Çini, which were produced only for the palace and applied by the palace painters, Kütahya Çini has been shaped over time according to the needs of society. The culture and history of the area were reflected in the patterns developed by the masters, and which have been referred to as the art of the people. The “Patterns”, which are made of thin brass rods, are created as contemporary experiments that showcase the possibility of the centuries’ old Çini patterns to exist in new forms and materials.

“Elhamra: Learning From Craft”, 2024

@ARTonGallery, Istanbul

Curator: Lydia Chatziiakovou 

Production assistant: Emrullah Büker 

Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz

Thank you to Mustafa Kerkük, third generation master of Elhamra Çini for sharing the story of his family, their studio and archive.