Ipek Kotan
“My work stems from a visceral need to create with my hands using natural materials and a love of the open vessel form.
Being one of the oldest objects ever made, one of the most commonly found in archaeological sites the world over, and one of the most essential in daily life even after 30,000 years, the vessel is an embodiment of the timelessness, endurance and universality of the human experience. Generosity, openness, sharing, offering and protection are at the core of its DNA, weaving it tightly into the more positive chapters of the story of humankind."
Film by Thijs Adriaans
Working in Amsterdam
2000 BA Media Arts, Emerson College, Boston, USA
2008 Foundation Studies in Art and Design, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA
2010 MA Ceramic Design, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent
“I am interested in what this form symbolises metaphysically and historically rather than its potential as a functional object, and use it as a canvas and frame in which I explore modern and minimalist expressions. Working on the wheel, I use Limoges porcelain, keeping the exteriors of my forms simple, unglazed, and highly polished in order to bring out the beauty of the porcelain and the complex textures and colours of my glazes on the interiors of the pieces. The works are as much made to be touched and felt as to be seen. Even the slightest adjustment to the angle or sharpness of a rim, the thickness or the contour of a wall, the relationship of textures and colours between the interior and exterior can make a world of difference in the character of a piece. This exploration of nuances is what gives direction to my work.”
Ipek Kotan has work in the following public collections:
Museum Boijmans Van Veuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Museen der Stadt Landshut, Landshut, Germany
Presidential Art Collection, Ankara, Turkey
Staatliche Kunstammlungen Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Works for Sale
