Wondrous Worlds: Art & Islam Through Time and Place features beautiful Iznik tiles and plates from the late 16th,  17th, and 18th centuries. Named after a town in western Turkey, Iznik ceramic art is known from the 15th century, reaching its height during the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman Sultans admired the vibrant cobalt and coral colors against the bright white base and covered the walls of Topkapi Palace with Iznik tiles.

With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the tradition of Iznik ceramics was lost. Mehmet Gürsoy, has spent his life reviving this technique. Mr. Gürsoy studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Istanbul and has been working with ceramics for over 35 years. He has rediscovered traditional formulas for color and clay while integrating new patterns and motifs. In 2009 Gürsoy was designated a UNESCO Living Human Treasure, an award that recognizes experts of rare cultural traditions and encourages the transmission of this knowledge to younger generations.

Mr. Gürsoy will join us from his studio in Iznik, Turkey where he will explore the development of the Iznik ceramic tradition through historic works he has collected throughout his life, and his own remarkable work.

Mr. Gürsoy will speak in Turkish with translation by Riza Yeldrim, Ph.D. candidate in Emory’s Islamic Civilizations Studies Program.