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Istanbul's renowned Pera Museum, part of the Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a landmark exhibition that highlights the life and work of Minas Avramidis, a transformative figure in the world of Kutahya tiles and ceramics.
Titled “Extraordinary Minas: The Story of Inspiration and Innovation in Kutahya Tiles and Ceramics,” the exhibition sheds light on Avramidis' pioneering contributions, which redefined the boundaries of ceramic art in the late Ottoman era.
The exhibition goes beyond a simple historical review, offering an artistic journey where tradition and imagination converge. Avramidis, originally trained as a stonemason, became one of the most revered ceramicists of his time, infusing Kutahya's classical tile-making with emotion, storytelling, and cultural resonance. His work is distinguished by figurative depictions that go beyond mere ornamentation, bringing narratives to life through ceramic form.
Minas Avramidis is especially known for his ability to merge traditional techniques with a modern sensibility, and his work marks a significant turning point in the evolution of Kutahya ceramics. In an exclusive interview with Türkiye Today, Yavuz Selim Guler, the collection supervisor at Pera Museum, explained that the exhibition was structured to highlight how Avramidis' work connected with broader historical and artistic currents, ultimately influencing the trajectory of Kutahya ceramics in the 20th century.
At the heart of the exhibition is the Genovefa Story series, a remarkable group of ceramic plates created by Avramidis in the 1910s. These plates are an artistic retelling of the 19th-century serialized tale of Genovefa, a poignant story of loyalty, exile, and redemption. The ceramic works serve as an eloquent visual narrative, reintroducing a form of storytelling to Kutahya tiles that had previously been absent.
Guler emphasized the unique nature of these pieces in his interview with Türkiye Today, highlighting that Avramidis didn’t merely replicate traditional tile patterns but brought a fresh perspective to Kutahya ceramics. His work represents a rare and bold departure from the conventional designs of the time, adding depth and complexity to the medium.
In a striking curatorial decision, the exhibition pairs Avramidis' ceramics with lithographs by Sotiris Christidis, recently donated to the museum. This pairing serves as a visual conversation between print media and ceramic art, offering a unique perspective on how Avramidis navigated different artistic media. Christidis’ lithographs, like Avramidis' ceramics, explore themes of cultural identity and the human experience, thus enriching the narrative of the exhibition.
The exhibition features 54 works from the Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation’s Kutahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection, many of which are being displayed for the first time. The pieces on display reflect Avramidis’s exceptional craftsmanship, his attention to detail, and his influences from various cultural hubs, including Kutahya, Athens, Thessaloniki, and Jerusalem.
Minas Avramidis, born in 1877 in the Greek Orthodox district of Kutahya, represents the cross-cultural richness of his time. Having trained in the Minassian Brothers’ workshop, Avramidis eventually opened his studio and became one of the key figures responsible for introducing Kutahya ceramics to the international stage. His work not only gained recognition in Türkiye but also in markets across the world, cementing Kutahya ceramics as a global art form.
As Guler notes in the interview, Avramidis’ mastery was not limited to decoration but extended to every stage of ceramic production. From preparing the clay to creating intricate glazes, he approached his craft with an unparalleled level of skill and attention. This dedication to detail and quality is what sets Avramidis apart from other contemporaneous masters, such as the Minassian Brothers and Hafiz Mehmet Emin Efendi.
While creating the exhibition, Guler and his team faced the exciting challenge of incorporating newly discovered works, such as the Genovefa Story lithographs. Guler recalled that when academic advisor Dinos Kogias presented the 1990 exhibition catalog on Avramidis, it lacked information on his Kutahya period. However, Scoglias' later exhibition at the Benaki Museum revealed previously unknown pieces, which were incorporated into the current display.
One of the most difficult aspects of curating the exhibition was the preservation and restoration of certain works, particularly a ceramic tabletop that required a long and delicate restoration process. Despite these challenges, Guler expressed his satisfaction with the final result, which he believes has successfully brought Avramidis’ legacy to the forefront of contemporary artistic dialogue.
In the interview, Guler reflected on how Minas Avramidis’ meticulous attention to detail and originality can inspire today’s ceramic artists and designers. His work demonstrates that by drawing on tradition and focusing on the finer details of craftsmanship, modern artists can create unique and meaningful works of art. Guler believes that today's artists can find inspiration in Avramidis' ability to blend past techniques with new perspectives, showing that innovation can emerge from a deep respect for heritage.
As the Pera Museum continues to develop and display its extensive collection, Guler envisions a future where exhibitions are curated around specific themes that bring the collections to life. The museum’s collections are not simply displayed as reference materials but are transformed into narrative-driven exhibitions that tell new stories about the cultural and artistic heritage of Türkiye and the wider region.
The Extraordinary Minas exhibition is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 07:00 p.m., and on Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 06:00 p.m. Admission is free every Friday from 06:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. as part of the museum’s “Long Friday” initiative and every Wednesday for students as part of "Young Wednesday."
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