The exhibition was created by architect Bijoy Jain (born in 1965), founder of Studio Mumbai. Jain's work consists in creating connections between art, architecture, and material. Through the selected artists' pieces, Jain offers the Fondation Cartier a space for contemplation, harmonising with the iconic building designed by Jean Nouvel.
Following the recommendation of Hervé Chandès, the exhibition's curator and General Artistic Director of the Fondation Cartier, Jain invited Hu Liu, a Chinese artist residing in Beijing (born in 1982), and Alev Ebüzziya Siesbye, a Danish ceramist of Turkish origin based in Paris (born in 1938). Giving equal importance to the ritual mastery of gesture, resonance, and dialogue with materials, all three share the same sensitivity.
Among the artworks featured in this exhibition, the creations of Alev Ebüzziya Siesbye stood out to me. Born in Istanbul, she travelled across many countries and embraced different cultures, giving her this taste for exoticism while dialoguing with her favourite material, clay. She has built a reputation for herself by modelling round, thin-walled, wide-rimmed bowls with a sleek, minimalist style, inspired by the cultures of the Near East.
Every artwork on display shows us the mastery of her craft, purity rooted in simplicity, lightness, and elegance. With excellent manual skill, precise, rapid gestures, accompanied by a good perception of volumes, the artist demonstrates her remarkable talent.
Using the technique of coiling, the artist shows us all her expertise in enamelled bowls of timeless beauty. It takes Alev six to eight hours to assemble her creations. However, she doesn't talk about them as pieces destined to be perfect. Instead, she says they need to possess a resonance, a vibration. It’s almost like a story of soul or magic. When Alev talks about her work, she says that she communicates, collaborates, and is in constant confrontation with the clay. So she is not the only master on board.
In the 1980s-1990s, the artist used blue a lot, a colour that reminded her of the blue waters of the Bosphorus that marked her childhood. The white pieces, on the other hand, represent Alev's latest creations.
At 85 years old, Alev crafted all the white pieces specifically for this exhibition! Amidst all these pieces is a dark navy blue bowl, conceived by the exhibition's architect and scenographer, Bijoy Jain. Dating back to 1995 and part of her personal collection, this is Alev's favourite piece. She is very happy with Bijoy's choice.
The artworks are presented on two imposing stands, made from hand-fired miniature bricks, designed especially by the Mumbai studio for Alev's works.
Alev's artworks are part of collections in a number of museums worldwide, including those of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and the Cooper Hewitt in New York.
The exhibition is on display until 21 April 2024.
Text and photos by Eloïse, Ebru FESLİ
