The honoring ceremony was organized online last Tuesday by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology as part of National Research Week, which was held from December 12 to 18.

Akbari is a professor at the Department of Higher Art Studies at the University of Kashan. He is active in the fields of pottery and ceramics and has been able to revive lustre pottery, which is a type of pottery or porcelain with a metallic glaze that gives the effect of iridescence.

He has held several solo and group exhibits and has authored several books and a number of academic articles.

“The Ministry of Science has chosen the top researchers based on their activities over the past years. I have been teaching at the University of Kashan and have carried out research works on the history of clay and ceramics. I published my first book 20 years ago under the title ‘Experience in Making Pottery Kilns’ based on my personal experience when I was a student and during the years when kilns were hard to find,” Akbari has said.

“My other activities also go back to my research works but they are not similar to other research methods. That is why most of my books and articles are the products of my own personal experience. The last book I published was about a kiln dating back to the Mongol era and was unearthed while renovating a house in Kashan. I renovated the kiln and documented the process and my personal experience in a book that is an important document about the kilns discovered in Iran,” he explained.

He added that there are a great number of topics for research works in the country since art has numerous branches and there are many untouched issues, which need to be researched by the next generation.

“The history of the art of Iran used to be recorded by Western experts using their own methods, however, I believe that those methods are no longer applicable. We need to work now in those areas that remain, such as structures that are slated for demolition and need to be studied and documented for the future. Now that we have better tools and improved technology we need to carry out these types of research,” he concluded.

Akbari won the Kerameikon’s Bronze Medal for his artwork at the Ceramica Multiplex 2016, held in Varazdin, the Republic of Croatia.


Source: Tehran Times