By Heidi Trautmann

This year there were 27 participants with 43 works chosen for the exhibition at the Ismet Güney Art Centre in Nicosia and I was very pleased to see not only the results but also the enthusiasm given for an art discipline which is one of the oldest of human existence. Our ancestors living in caves and from what nature offered them found the clay and started to form objects in which they could store their food and which was fire resistant; later they added decorative motifs to objects, for example in the bronze ages which we can still admire today.

Although refined, the procedures of creating ceramic art have not changed much. The clay is still collected from the earth – there are deposits to be found in Cyprus, for example Dizayn 74, the only pottery in the TRNC since 1974 produces workable clay - and the objects still hardened by heat/fire. (See my interview with Dizayn 74 and Semral Öztan on my website.)

In 1999 the Kuzey Kibris Seramikçiler Derneği / North Cyprus Ceramists Association was founded by seven ceramists; Semral Öztan is the present President of the Association and she is responsible for the organisation of the event which is supported by the Cultural Directorate of the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture.

I have seen the outcome of all five competitions; it has always been the idea to motivate people to know more about the discipline of ceramic art, to promote it and to educate people in this ancient handicraft. Worldwide the craft has gained increased interest again after the industrially produced ware had taken over the market.

There were three achievement prizes (Hale Gündüz, Kezban Dolmaçı, Nelin Tunç) chosen by the jury and one mention worthy Melek Serap). Most of them have private education in working with clay in ceramic studios as there is the question of a kiln to fire the pieces. The theme for the competition was free but I realised that the works tended towards mythology, the sea, people and animals; there were some abstract installations.  I liked very much what I saw because the work was done with emotions and enthusiasm.

The exhibition was opened by Dr. Sibel Siber who emphasized the importance of art as a language to overcome problems, and I agree with her when she said that Cypriot people are creative and productive.

The exhibition is open to the public until January 15, 2015 in the Ismet Güney Art Centre, close to the Küçük Kaymaklı Post Office at official governmental office hours.

I have not attached any names to the ceramic works as it is for the viewer to select his/her favourite one. The most important is to have participated, isn't it?