EARTH DAY
22 April is celebrated as EARTH DAY.
Although I don't like the celebrations on the designated days, so I started following what EARTH DAY.ORG has been doing for a while. EARTH DAY started to be celebrated for the first time in 1970.
Their aim is to educate and encourage environmental groups around the world.
They say, “It’s not just today. It’s a movement.”
I have been designing and producing for my own brand for 21 years. I always use local materials and production possibilities to deliver my designs to consumers. I could never accept making trade by producing in distant countries because it is cheaper labour.
When I decided to open a workshop in Istanbul 10 years ago to produce ceramics, I encountered a different world. I bought a German-made ceramic kiln and started using French and German porcelain muds and glazes. These materials are well-designed and easy to work with. We have been using French Limoge porcelain mud for many years.
As I learned more about the materials and production methods I was using, I realized they didn't align with my beliefs about life and design.
For a short period of time, Kale Seramik, with the support of Zeynep Bodur Okyay, carried out R&D studies on porcelain clay. The use of raw materials from the Anatolian region has been the focus of this research. In the end, a porcelain clay for the casting technique was developed with 65% of the raw materials coming from the soil of Anatolia. It was the kaolin clay from the Anatolian soil that gave the special colour to the porcelain clay, which is yellowish cream in colour. I also really liked the colour of the clay.
Having different colours and tastes from different geographies is a great richness. I would like to be more aware of the differences of the geography in which I live. When I'm designing, I'm aware of how important it is to use all these local values correctly. I pay attention to the right communication design with people who use my porcelain.
Unfortunately, the porcelain slip produced by Kale Seramik could not be developed on a sustainable basis.I hope that in the future it will be a subject to be discussed again within the framework of the movement that started with Ms Zeynep's motto "TAKE CARE OF YOUR WORLD”. We all know that designing and producing with local materials is one of the most important issues in our world; climate change and global nature problems. Getting started is important.
And most importantly, it is necessary to have very comprehensive thinking and decision making at the product design stage. We should pay great attention to be SUSTAINABLE at every stage of design and production.
As ÖZLEM TUNA DESIGN, we make sure that the piece we produce will be used in our life in some way or the other. The planting of flowers in cracked cups, the filling of candles, etc.
And recently I realised that I cannot throw away a broken ceramic cup or plate. I think about where and how I can use the broken piece.
In our design shop in Istanbul, a piece broke on the stairs. We repaired it with a broken plate. My love for cobalt colour is growing every day. On our staircase, the cobalt porcelain mosaic came to life.
Özlem Tuna