MELİKE ABASIYANIK KURTİÇ

Melike Abasıyanık Kurtiç graduated from the Decorative Arts Department of the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts (Mimar Sinan) in 1955. Between 1960-1962, she worked on ceramic decor and free form at Eczacıbaşı Ceramic Factories-Mumhane Studio. In 1963, she conducted Clay researches at the Herman Kaler Ceramics Workshop in Naestved, Denmark. She was accepted to the "Royal Danish Porcelain Factory" in Copenhagen between 1963-1966. For 4 years, she worked on form researches and one-piece ceramic forms to be put into production in the "Steinzeug-Gre" department of the factory. Between 1967-1968, she worked on Glasur as a guest artist at the Copenhagen Fine Arts Academy Ceramics Department.

Between 1968-1972, she worked on clay studies at Ankara Mineral Research and Exploration Institute and pattern studies at the Nature Museum. Between 1971-1975, she carried out her works at the "Heinz-Theo Dietz" Ceramics Studio in Bonn-Bad-Godesberg, West Germany. In 1973, she was accepted as a member of the Chamber of Applied Fine Arts, State of Nord-Rhein Westfalen, by decision of the jury. In 1973, she became a member of the GEDOK Union, which is headquartered in Hamburg and affiliated to the "Federation International des Associations Culturelles Feminies" in Paris. She returned to Ankara in 1975.She continued her ceramic works in Ankara and Adapazarı until 1977.In the same years, she was influenced by the sea urchins she saw on the shores of Çeşme and started the first drawings. Between 1977-79, she lived in Athens with her husband's duty.In Athens, she made the printing of the "Sea Urchin" drawings on photographic canvas and she produced 8 mm film works on Sea Urchin. She continued her ceramic works in Copenhagen between 1979-1981. Same year, a ceramic sculpture of her was purchased for the government building of the city of Grenaa (Denmark) and she applied this city's traditional emblem to ceramics for the same structure. Between 1981 and 1983, she made "Two-Dimensional" rice paper applied color studies in Budapest, and opened an exhibition at the Hungarian National Gallery. Between 1989 and 1993, she did Tide photography on the ocean coast of Portugal (Alto-Da-Barra). She worked on printmaking at IMOGA in 2013. She passed away on 26 August 2021 in Istanbul.