Turkish ceramist Duygu Kavukcu (2nd L) instructs her students, who are suffering from various health issues, how to mold clay and make ceramic objects in a studio in Ankara, Türkiye, on May 22, 2024. People suffering from various health issues are finding therapeutic solace offered by female Turkish ceramist Duygu Kavukcu willing to go the extra mile for those in need of inner well-being and emotional support. In a small studio in the distant Batikent district of Ankara, a cheerful group of mostly female participants engage in small talk as they work on different ceramic objects. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

People suffering from various health issues are finding therapeutic solace offered by a female Turkish ceramist willing to go the extra mile for those in need of inner well-being and emotional support.

In a small studio in the distant Batikent district of Türkiye's capital city Ankara, a cheerful group of mostly female participants engage in small talk as they work on different ceramic objects.

"Working with clay can be a therapeutic experience for many people, particularly those bothered by health issues," said ceramic artist Duygu Kavukcu.

Kavukcu is now offering sessions that appeal to the souls of people with a range of conditions, including cancer and anxiety.

"We want people who participate in our courses to socialize, to find themselves, and forget their daily grievances through clay," she told Xinhua.

For several years, this ceramist, who left a ten-year-long career as an air traffic controller to pursue her dreams, has been dispensing regular classes for people affected by ailments of various seriousness.

"It's not only cancer patients, but we also have participants suffering from epilepsy or muscular diseases, and they all say that they find themselves in clay," she said.

"We have witnessed that art therapy is a treatment method for a patient or a person suffering from an ailment," Kavukcu added.

In her opinion, working with clay, which is derived from nature, is a creative pursuit and a practice of mindfulness, offering a source of solace from the stresses of everyday life.

The items created in her classes may not be the most visually striking or artistically accomplished, but they hold deep meaning for their creators.

Working with clay can be meditative. This form of therapy is not intended to cure patients but to provide mental support while they undergo sometimes rigorous treatments.

Demet Uludag, a 53-year-old mother of two, had been withdrawn from family and friends while she received chemotherapy for breast cancer diagnosed back in 2017.

However, she said her mood had significantly changed since she started molding clay and making ceramic objects.

"Muddling clay is a very different experience and the energy it gave me was therapeutic, I found peace and forgot my problems. I clung to life by creating something from scratch. It felt great," the cancer survivor stressed.

"Clay has become a therapy for my soul," said Uludag, whose cancer is in remission, indicating that a patient cannot battle cancer only with pills and medication.

"When your soul and your morale are lifted, you become more resilient to cancer," she said, recommending these courses to everyone stressed by their daily routine.

"In our religion, we believe we are made of clay ... As you're dealing with clay, it's like you're connecting with yourself," Uluday added.

According to Ceyda Yilmaz, a university student struggling with anxiety and diagnosed with attention deficiency as a child, the process of working with clay is transformative.

"Working with ceramics has been helpful for me in dealing with my issues. I've learned to focus and stay in the present moment," the student said with a smile.

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