Füreya

Commissioned by Kale Group on the occasion of its sixtieth anniversary, Füreya was the most comprehensive retrospective devoted to Füreya Koral, a pioneering figure in the development of modern ceramics in Turkey. Presented across 1,500 square metres at Akaretler Sıraevler, it brought together nearly 200 works from public and private collections, alongside photographs, correspondence and archival documents assembled through more than a year of research.

Rather than allowing her celebrated family background or unusual life story to determine the narrative, the exhibition placed Koral’s persistent formal experimentation at its centre — from early drawings and lithographs to vessels, porcelain editions, sculptural forms and architectural wall panels — and examined how she established ceramics as a modern language between sculpture, architecture and public life. Works lost from their original architectural settings were represented through surviving photographs, drawing attention to the vulnerability of Turkey’s modern artistic heritage.

The retrospective was accompanied by a 474-page artist book, an interdisciplinary programme of Füreya Meetings, children’s workshops and a scholarship fund for young ceramics students. Extended in response to public interest, it welcomed more than 50,000 visitors; its research and installation are preserved through a dedicated digital archive and a 360-degree tour.