Ceramic art

In his seaside workshop on the Greek island of Lesvos, Dimitris Kouvdis uses ancient techniques to create pottery pieces that have recently been honoured with inclusion in UNESCO's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The B&E Goulandris Foundation (13 Eratosthenous, goulandris.gr), partnering with ceramist Elpida Kourtzi, hosts the "Engraving in Ceramic Art: Mugs & Dishes" workshop for adults and teens. Participants will create ceramic utility products inspired by the foundation's collection. The workshop comprises two three-hour sessions.

The inaugural Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics, BCK 2024, titled "Clay Echoes: Unearthing Hidden Narratives," celebrates Greece's rich cultural heritage and the enduring resonance of this ancient craft. Held at the Museum of Prehistoric Thera on Santorini, the exhibition invites dialogue and innovation, honoring tradition while embracing the future of ceramic artistry. Admission is free. 

The Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation's modern art museum (13 Eratosthenous, Pangrati) is organizing a pottery workshop for people over 15 years old, in collaboration with ceramist Elpida Kourtzi, which will span three Fridays in February. Participants will make unique ceramic pieces inspired by the works of the B&E Goulandris Foundation Collection.

Big Blue Dot, a nonprofit organization based in Greece, is devoted to advancing the evolution of contemporary ceramics. Rooted in the desire to elevate Greek ceramic art on the global stage, this new biennial event aims to artistic exchange and offer a fresh perspective on Greece's cultural heritage through contemporary art.

Christie's has announced the Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Oriental Rugs and Carpets, a live auction at Christie's on April 27. The sale features striking examples of manuscripts, paintings, ceramics, metalwork, and carpets.

Andreas Dorgiomanolakis shapes a terracotta pot in one of the last surviving ceramic workshops in Thrapsano, a village in Crete that had around 150 such workshops up until the 1970s. In the business since the age of 15, Dorgiomanolakis laments the lack of interest among the younger generations to take up the craft. "I fell in love with it through my grandfather," he told the AMNA.

Pottery fragments were also found

Turkey's well-known ceramic artist, Candeğer Furtun, says that her artworks tell a story as a whole and that leaving any one of them would mean as if the story is missing a page.

"They all tell my story; they depict my life," she said.

The 5,000-year-old ceramic pieces that have been found during excavations in the ancient city of Myra in the southern province of Antalya's Demre district took the history of the ancient city 2,000 years back.