Elif Uras’s first monograph and site-specific installation The Source, realized under the leadership of Galerist and as part of Kale Group’s 2018 project in support of ceramics in art, will be on view at a historic storefront in Istanbul between November 24 and December 30. Featuring a functioning ceramic fountain, a tiled wall, and new drawings presented in ceramic frames, Uras’s new body of work draws from various cultural references and explores ideas of shared heritage, hybridity and pluralism. Also presented onsite and edited by L. İpek Ulusoy Akgül, Uras’s comprehensive monograph looks at the artist’s practice from multiple perspectives.
Essays by internationally acclaimed writers Ahu Antmen, Amy Smith-Stewart, Kathy Battista and Merve Ünsal investigate critical issues around the feminist undertones of her works, how the artist utilizes “traditional” techniques in her ceramic objects, and how her unique patterning and ornamentation connect these works with her paintings. The publication also includes a conversation between the editor and the artist, and an extensive visual documentation of Uras’s works. Published in separate English and Turkish editions by Galerist Publishing, the monograph will be distributed internationally by Revolver Publishing.
“The ceramic works of Elif Uras create an exceptional experience for each one of us.”
Kale Group’s President and CEO Zeynep Bodur Okyay states that Kale Group has made it their mission to promote ceramics in art and to support artists through the resources they provide for arts and culture. She further points out: “We want to create a series of success stories for Türkiye’s future. Our priority is to be involved in innovative and inspiring projects, and to encourage like-minded people and communities. This year, we are proud to be supporting the publication of the first monograph of our internationally renowned contemporary artist Elif Uras. The ceramic works of Uras, through which we can witness the artist’s distinct imagination, generate an exceptional experience for us. Uras’s first monograph sheds light on her practice through texts by distinguished writers, facilitating further recognition of her practice within Türkiye and beyond. Uras traces the diverse traditions of our geography and transforms them into something unique and contemporary, which I believe is a critical contribution to our global discourse.”