REPRESENTATION IN CERAMICS: MATERIAL, NARRATIVE, AND CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the concept of representation in the field of contemporary ceramics at the levels of material, form, and surface. It emphasizes that ceramics is not merely a functional medium but also a language of expression with a strong capacity to generate narratives. The fragility and durability of the material, along with the traces, cracks, and repairs on its surface, produce representational dimensions related to concepts such as memory and identity, shaping the artist’s narrative. From its use to its breaking, from the shaping of the surface to its fragmentation, every stage ceramics undergoes carries representational functions both conceptually and aesthetically. On an international level, Ai Weiwei’s politically charged porcelain works, Yeesookyung’s Translated Vase series that creates new meanings by reassembling broken fragments, and Betty Woodman’s transformations of everyday objects into artistic language are discussed within this context. In Turkey, the works of Füreya Koral, with her modernist approach, Sevim Çizer, with her narrative emphasis on surface aesthetics, and Candeğer Furtun, with her bodily representations, highlight the diverse possibilities of representation in ceramics. In the conclusion, the study discusses contemporary tendencies that reinforce representational aspects of ceramics and presents methodological and conceptual suggestions for future academic research. Thus, it aims to develop a comprehensive framework for understanding the multi-layered representational power of ceramics within contemporary art.