Alabama Maker Studio Mediterranean brings Turkish heritage to Heart of Dixie
Gokden Alpman Matthews creates her art at Lowe Mill A&E in Huntsville. (Brittany Dunn / Alabama NewsCenter)
Studio Mediterranean (Huntsville)
The Maker: Gokden Alpman Matthews
Gokden Alpman Matthews shares her rich Turkish history in every piece of art she creates.
Mosaic artwork is her favorite because it reminds her of home.
“I like mosaic because Turkey is a different culture and mosaic looks the same as Turkey,” says Alpman Matthews.
Gokden Alpman Matthews is an Alabama Maker of ceramic art from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
But Alpman Matthews loves stretching herself, such as creating artwork that blends Oriental and European cultures.
Before locating to the Lowe Mill A&E makers village in Huntsville, Alpman Matthews competed in and won art competitions in New York. She teaches ceramics to local students, passing on her techniques to young Alabamians.
Creating ceramics has always been in her life.
Alpman Matthews graduated from a fine arts college in Turkey, worked in a commercial ceramic factory to learn the business and then set out to create her own successful studio, selling her creations in museum shops and other stores in Kuwait, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Europe.
“I’m lucky, my job is my hobby, too, and it makes me happy,” said Alpman Matthews.
The product: Ceramic sculptures and mosaic tile art.
Take home: Handmade ceramic owl ornament ($35).
