Mehmet Gürsoy practices a 1,000-year-old art form that traces its beginnings to the Iznik tradition, which were among the finest works produced in the Ottoman Empire.

The artist carries forth the floral and animal designs produced on decorative plates, bowls, tiles, vases and jugs. The quality of the work makes it one of the most sought after folk art in today’s Islamic world.

Mehmet studied the ancient scripts to learn how to reproduce the technical quality of the pottery and tiles. While the process of preparing the clay is a long and involved one using many different periods of grinding the raw clay, smoothing it out and then dipping it in quartz, it is Gürsoy’s carefully honed painting techniques that make his work stand out.

He has learned how to produce his own colors unique to Iznik ceramics. The result is beautifully crisp colors rendered in different shades of blues, greens, reds and pinks.

Mehmet began his career as a school teacher, but soon fell in love with the designs laid down on this ancient pottery. He gave up teaching and followed his heart, playing an important role in the rebirth of Iznik.

Gürsoy’s work is being sponsored by the Anatolian Artisans.