Galip Korukcu aka ‘Hurry’ Potter
IN His time, God formed man out of clay and breathed life into it. – a Cappadocia proverb There are more than 300 pottery shops and studios in Cappadocia creating pots, wine jars, plates, vases, ash trays, chess sets – every conceivable thing that one could make out of clay.
The roots of their profession lie in the nearby red river that flows through the town Avanos near Cappadocia. The Kizilirmak (Red river) is aptly named because of the red clay that lies on its banks.
To skilled potters, pedaling a footdriven potter’s wheel is the only way to make authentic pottery from scratch. The potter will take the clay and along with water, produce an expert piece within minutes. Experience is vital and it is no easy task to produce an item of the same caliber or appearance.
Pottery masters’ skills have mostly been handed down from generation to generation. Mehmet was the first potter in the family. He was succeeded by his son Abdullah, who was succeeded by his son Hakki, who was succeeded by his son Yusuff, who was succeeded by his son Galip, the fifth generation of the clan who runs the most famous pottery studio in Cappadocia.
The rich and the famous seek Galip Korukcu. That is how Capt. Joy Roa discovered in one of his peripatetic sorties the artisan Galip. A photo of the potter and the globe-trotting pilot hangs prominently in Galip’s studio.
The future is in doubt because Galip forgot to sire a son. He and his Dutch wife have three lovely daughters, their first-born, followed by twin sisters.
Turkey featured prominently at the 21st Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF, February 9-12), with the Turkish Dance Ensemble, Turkish carpets and Turkish pottery.
Galip makes it look so easy spinning his potter’s wheel and finishing quickly. A blogger bears witness to the contrary: “The potter will show you the basic skills, and then it is your turn to make a piece of true Avanos pottery. On my first trip to Cappadocia, I was eager to get started. After paying great attention to the instructions given by the pottery master, I took my piece of clay, wet my hands, and sat at the potter’s wheel. After five minutes, my leg was aching from spinning the wheel and, without warning, my carefully crafted pot just collapsed into the same ball of clay that I had begun with. It looked so easy; but I can tell you, it isn’t.
At the end of the four-dray fiesta, Capt. Roa asked if Galip could consider donating his potter’s wheel to some deserving school or institute. As it was, this was the artisan’s same liked-minded wish, Galip and his Dutch wife have only one condition: That the donation should go to a school or an institute which serves the disadvantaged so that they may learn the trade and have a better chance in life.
Every year Galip runs a short seminar on pottery in Cappadocia. This year, he has apprentices and hobbyists from France, Denmark, USA, Singapore, Russia, and Belgium, staying 2 weeks to 3 months. No Filipino would-be potter has signed up yet since Galip began the program. That may soon end.
If plans materialize, Galip can be persuaded to return next year for the 22nd Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. After the four-day fiesta in February, 2018, he can stay behind by a beachfront hotel to conduct a hands-on seminar to upgrade local pottery craft, which is his first love.
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