The ebb and flow of porcelain
- Ipek creates sculptural vessels on the wheel
- Her clay creations feel and look like marble sculptures
- She considers porcelain a master teacher
Ipek Kotan started studying ceramics at the age of 30 after resigning from a corporate position. She first went to Rhode Island School of Design in the United States where she studied 3D art and design at Bachelor level and later at Staffordshire University in England where she obtained her Master’s degree in ceramic design. Sculptural vessels make up the main body of Ipek's work. For her the vessel is the embodiment of timelessness, endurance and the universality of the human experience. “Generosity, sharing, offering, and protection are the core of its DNA, weaving it tightly into the better parts of the story of humankind. I am interested in what the vessel symbolises historically and metaphysically rather than its potential as a functional object.“ Ipek is very invested in teaching her craft and she holds regular workshops at her studio, helping her students develop a solid technical foundation.
Interview
- What do you wish people knew about your work?
- How simplicity and flawlessness are so difficult to achieve with porcelain because it is an incredibly technical material, especially for wheel-throwing large pieces. Porcelain is also an incredible teacher. It shows you exactly what you need to work on!
- What are your main sources of inspiration?
- Colours, textures and patterns in nature, especially those of sedimentary and basalt rock formations and sand, icebergs, dried up river beds, floral fractals, fish scales, tree barks, and aerial photographs showing patterns in nature.
- Have you experienced any special moments in your work life?
- I remember Reynisfjara's black sand beach in Iceland on a particularly dark and cold winter's night. Both the wind and the waves were extremely loud and violent. It was an incredible feeling to be in the presence of such magnificent beauty and natural forces.
- Would you say that your craft is in danger?
- Yes! Very few people study ceramics at a professional level. A lot of ceramics departments in universities in Europe have shut down in the last 15 years due to decreasing numbers of students and the high costs of running studios. It is heart-breaking.
Ipek Kotan is a master artisan: she began her career in 2007 and she started teaching in 2012
Where
Ipek Kotan
