This exhibition, which will be held on 6th of December at New Metropolis Nieuw-West (18:30 – 21:00), is the result of a series of clay workshops hosted by Esra Sakir: Matter & Found Forms. Throughout the workshops, clay material was transformed into various shapes, fostering a dialogue between the artist and the participants. This evening is an opportunity for us to collectively appreciate all the work produced during the workshop, share smiles, and exchange our experiences. It’s also the moment for participants to retrieve their pieces after they’ve undergone bisque firing and glazing. Music during this evening will be provided by electronic sound artist Tongxin!
More about the project
The objective of this ongoing project is to delve into our origins and the perceptions we hold about them, aiming to create alternative visual narratives. This involves beginner-level clay modeling as a means to embrace and engaged perspective of the creative process, along with encouraging diverse and pluralistic viewpoints. During the workshops Esra provided a technical introduction to working with clay, and we engaged in discussions about early archaeological findings, the historical roles of women, and a comperative analysis of some of the oldest clay artifacts from around the world.
About the artists
Esra Sakir is from Turkey and Italy. Born in Isparta and raised in Izmir and Istanbul. She got her first lessons on art from artists like Hale Sontas, Tayfun Erdogmus, Mahmut Cuda, Gurdal Duyar and Mehmet Guleryuz. When she was 18, she moved to Italy to study at the Brera Academy of Milan, from which she received her Bachelor’s degree in 1996. In that period, she painted in a style related to magic realism. In 2006 she returned to Istanbul to become a teacher of arts on Yeditepe University, where she worked with art students on re-reading art history. During the summer of 2008, she left Turkey again, this time to attend a Masters’s programme in Fine Arts at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Utrecht. She became very interested in the possibilities of re-telling the stories of historical artworks, like Diego Velasquez’s “Las Meninas”, using the abilities of new digital techniques and silkscreen printing to explore the re-readings of art history.
Guo Tongxin (郭童心) is an independent filmmaker, electronic sound artist, illustrator and multimedia artist. Currently she is studying the Master Artistic Research in and through Cinema at the Netherlands Film Academy. Before that, she took a three years master degree in Journalism and Communication at Xiamen University. Her current art works are always a combination of audio and visual, discussing the illusion of emotions and memories. These works often take the individual perspective as an entry point and are closely related to social issues and humanistic concerns.
