Renowned Turkish artisan Mehmet Yıldırım, one of the most distinguished masters of Kütahya ceramics, has won the First Prize in Ceramics and Pottery at the Tabriz International Award for Innovation and Creativity in Handicrafts, held within the framework of the Tabriz International Festival of Islamic Arts, Crafts and Creativity. The award, valued at $3,000, was part of a total prize fund of $80,000.
Renowned Turkish artisan Mehmet Yıldırım, one of the most distinguished masters of Kütahya ceramics, has won the First Prize in Ceramics and Pottery at the Tabriz International Award for Innovation and Creativity in Handicrafts, held within the framework of the Tabriz International Festival of Islamic Arts, Crafts and Creativity. The award, valued at $3,000, was part of a total prize fund of $80,000.Born in 1968 in Kütahya—an ancient city globally celebrated for its ceramic heritage that adorned Ottoman mosques, palaces, and mansions—Yıldırım inherited the craft from his father and continues to pass it on to future generations, encouraging his son and training new masters in the spirit of Ahi culture.
A pioneer in the Kütahya ceramics and pottery sector, Yıldırım manages his private workshop, Efsane, in Kütahya. Since beginning his training in 1980 under master craftsman Kamil Serçıbay, he has dedicated his life to preserving and innovating this historic art form. To date, he has trained 19 professional artisans.
His works have traveled worldwide—from India and Hungary to France, Oman, Germany, Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, South Africa, and Syria—where he has demonstrated the art of hand-shaping clay on a foot-operated potter’s wheel. Among his notable international appearances was the 2011 Muscat International Festival.
Yıldırım has served as Head of the Chamber of Tile Makers, Painters, and Craftspeople of Kütahya (2005–2009) and is a founding member and Second Vice President of Anilsander Association for the Preservation and Development of Anatolian Handicrafts. In 2005, he received official certification in ceramic arts from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Through exhibitions, workshops, documentaries, and international festivals, Mehmet Yıldırım continues to promote Kütahya’s ceramic legacy worldwide, carrying forward a centuries-old artistic torch with innovation and mastery.
