The effect of Füreya Koral on the transformation of Turkish ceramics into art objects

Throughout the history, clay has always been one of the most processed materials by mankind. The soil, which initially was only the material for shaping the items of the daily necessities, had become the main ingredient for the icons used at religious ceremonies. With the arrival of Ottomans in Anatolia, the material had been industrialized as it got technically better processed. As of the Republican Era, it took on another dimension with the appearance of educational institutions and the students graduated from these schools. Apart from the ceramics enlightenment of the Republican Era, Füreya Koral, who had improved herself independently, is accepted as the very first ceramics artist and has undeniable efforts to form the Modern Turkish Ceramics. Along with her works, her artistic personality has set an example for the contemporaries and next generations. With her contributions to the Turkish Ceramics, she has succeeded to turn the clay into a work of art. In this thesis, Turkish Ceramics' path of art has been studied in the light of life and works of Füreya Koral. In addition, the effects of the achievements of the Republic and the understanding of innovation and progress brought by it on the Turkish ceramics art and the reflections of these effects on the modern ceramics art were examined. The influence of western art on this modernization era is also studied.