Between the Past and Present, Hasan Şahbaz

Hasan is a Turkish artist and university teacher inspired by ancient cultures. These cultures can provide connection between the past, present and future through the terracotta!

How would you introduce your artwork in general?

Long time ago, maybe 3,000 years ago people here but also worldwide used bricks as building material. This is the reason why I chose bricks for my sculptures. I have been to an archaeological site with a 2.5m hole and each layer of earth had a different culture in it. The deeper you dig, the more cultures you discover. My sculptures show the meaning of past cultures found underneath the ground. Most of the things found on an archaeological site are bricks or ceramics. So I am making my sculpture with these cultures in mind.

What inspires you to create this kind of art?

The cultures that are revealed by the archaeologists are step by step becoming more interesting with each layer. The culture is growing like a tree, it starts small and gets bigger, better and that’s why the culture is so important to me. When I go to the site, I can touch a piece of pottery that someone made 3,000 years ago, it doesn’t matter if it was as an art or for a use. I touch it the same way it was touched  long time ago. It’s like a connection between the past and present. 

Why did you choose terracotta?

I began as a child by playing with the mud, after it rained. I liked the material. Terracotta and ceramics is a similar material before it is put to oven. Now I am teaching at Anadolu University and some of the students helping here today are my students.

What are your future plans?

I am a teacher here at the University but I am also studying to become a professor. Of course I will continue with my own art work. This Symposium is the beginning of the international life. We are now in the world’s eye, so I hope that I can improove and maybe the other Symposiums or different art events across the world will invite me. All the worlds art is here with many famous artists from different cultures so many people across the world will be interested in this Symposium. I hope that it will open doors for me.

Do you find this symposium beneficial for other artists or students?

I am very happy to be invited to this Symposium. Being able to participate at this symposium means also that your work is recognized as a good art. These Symposiums started 12 years ago when I was a student here in the same university, as now my students. My first internship was here and later I had a personal exhibition here. This year I am an artist at the Symposium so just like the culture, step by step it’s getting better so I am very happy.

Also, in the world you can get an education in ceramics over 3 or 4 years but when you are here its two weeks or 15 days. In 15 days you can learn about all the other things  that you can’t learn theoretically. There are also international artists, everyone has a different style so you can see the worlds art all in one place. This is very important for me.