Ceramist and academician Ömer Faruk Söyler's original artwork created from pieces of discarded ceramics are on display in his exhibition "ÇARK," which recently opened its doors to art lovers at the Avcılar campus of Istanbul Gelişim University.

With recycling as the main theme, the exhibition features over 30 pieces of art prepared with a technique that the artist has patented. All the works are comprised of industrial or commercial ceramic pieces, such as unused or broken bowls, pottery and plates collected within the framework of the country's "zero waste" efforts. The ceramist has skillfully turned ceramics – which were given the cylindrical shape with a lathe – into pieces of art using specific techniques.

Unique technique in the world

Shedding light on how the artist prepares his artwork, Söyler said: "Shaping ceramics on a lathe is a delicate task because it is difficult to master. I wanted to develop this approach and create marginal products. I reshaped commercial products such as plates and bowls that we use every day. Afterward, I transformed these ceramics into animal figures with the lathe techniques."

"I'm using this technique for the first time in the world. The transition from craft to art is a key component of my work here. On the lathe, I had cylindrical forms that I wanted to turn into artwork. Most of the figures in my artwork are animals. More than one stage of production is required for preparing each piece. In this respect, preparing all these works took about six months," he explained.

The curator of the exhibition, Istanbul Gelisim University professor Member Mustafa Günay, noted that the ceramics reshaped by the artist with his technique are unique in Türkiye and the world.

"Integrating them (the art pieces), Söyler created figures that are different from each other. He reflected on recycling and sustainability in the exhibition. It seems that our artist will make a name for himself in the field of ceramics both in Türkiye and abroad with his technique. This work was not seen in Türkiye or the world until now."