The 4th International Menemen Ceramic Festival brought together wheel-throwing artists from across the globe for an annual competition and fair held in Menemen, İzmir, Turkey. Representing the United States, Daniel competed in the 2025 edition — part of a recurring international circuit of competitions where precision, speed, and form are measured on the wheel.
The trip to Turkey extended beyond the competition itself. While in İzmir, Daniel also participated in Traces of Young Ceramics — a platform established to support emerging ceramic artists worldwide, founded by ceramic artists Tüzüm Kızılcan and Muhammet Emir Taşdemir, together with curator Ebru İlbeyci.
75 young artists selected by a jury exhibited their works at the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center, one of İzmir's leading contemporary art venues. The exhibition provided a space to share creative processes, engage with international art networks, and explore contemporary expressions in ceramics — presenting the dialogue of ceramic art with other disciplines and experimental techniques.
