The exhibition, focusing on efforts to revive ceramic art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the work of a master and his remarkable pieces, opened to visitors on May 28, 2025.
Minas Avramidis (1877–1954) was a master craftsman, skilled in all aspects of traditional tile-making. His imagination and innovative spirit brought a unique voice to Kütahya ceramics. At the heart of the exhibition is his remarkable series of plates illustrating the Genovefa Story, produced in the 1910s. The series draws on a narrative centered on themes such as faith and loyalty, likely inspired by a serialized publication in Karamanlidika and a lithograph by Sotiris Christidis, once common in Greek Orthodox neighborhood coffeehouses.
Blending the color palette, motifs, and forms of Kütahya’s deep-rooted ceramic tradition with his personal style, Minas skillfully bridged tradition and innovation, creating works that challenge established perceptions of Kütahya tiles.
The exhibition examines the concepts of master-apprentice relationships, craftsmanship versus mass production, and creative reinterpretation of heritage through the lens of Minas’s work. It also offers insights into the broader cultural landscape, tracing the stories of Kütahya masters who later dispersed to cities such as Athens, Thessaloniki, and Jerusalem in the second quarter of the 20th century.
“Extraordinary Minas” invites viewers on a journey through memory, craft, and transformation in the world of Kütahya ceramics.
At the 9th Major Community Gathering, the Suna’nın Kızları communities came together to review the past year’s outcomes and align on project plans for 2026. Participants explored new ideas and collaboration opportunities on how the model and programs co-developed with 33 civil society organizations over the past four years can further support and reinforce one another.
The Istanbul Research Institute continues to offer free guided tours of the exhibition The Photography Studio of an Adventurous Architect: Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu 1893–1982, which sheds light on the life of one of the most unconventional architects of his time, spanning the late Ottoman and early Republican periods.
The catalogue Extraordinary Minas: The Story of Inspiration and Innovation in Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics examines the efforts of Kütahya masters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to revive the disappearing craftsmanship of tile-making by focusing on a master and a group of his work, by presenting objects from the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection.