Füreya Koral

Füreya Koral (June 2, 1910 – August 25, 1997) was a pioneering ceramics artist born into a prominent artistic family in Turkey.

Known for her wall panels, Koral worked in a variety of media such as tiles and statuettes, and also created ceramic-inlaid tables and stools . She started working on ceramics after she was diagnosed with tuberculosis while receiving treatment at a sanatorium in Switzerland. A self-taught artist, her works were mostly ignored during her lifetime although she did create wood-and-ceramic furnishings for the new National Assembly Building in Ankara. Seeking to push the limits of ceramics beyond its function, she was inspired by the art of the ancient civilisations of Turkey, Mexico and East Asia, especially Japan, and her work often combines elements taken from both Western and Eastern artistic traditions.

She signed her works with the anglicised version of her given name, Fureya.