Kotan’s ceramic work stems from a visceral need to create with her hands and a love of the vessel form

One of the oldest objects ever made, to her, the vessel tells the story of humankind more eloquently than any other. Working on the wheel using porcelain, she explores modern, sculptural, minimalist and abstract variations of this timeless form.

She is equally interested in colors and textures as she is in forms. Even the smallest adjustment to the angle, sharpness or softness of a rim; the thickness of a wall; the curve of a profile or the relationship of textures and colors between the interior and the exterior can make a world of difference. This exploration of nuances is the essence of her work.

“Turkish-born Ipek Kotan is a breath of fresh air in the world of contemporary ceramics. Her elegant creations are a tactile expression of her love of the material – having originally studied photography, she soon gravitated to the potter’s wheel where she could touch, kneel and smell her medium and bring life and vision to clay.

The results are beautiful Limoges porcelain and stoneware bowls and vessels that have rich textured interiors glazed in copper and earthy tones and whose forms are drawn from traditional Mesopotamian pottery.

This contrasts beautifully with the unglazed exteriors of both her Limoges pieces which are silky smooth and of her stoneware pieces that have a rough, unfinished, and slightly rustic feel to them.” – Richard Rabel

Richard Rabel is a New York City-based interior designer and art advisor; former senior director and specialist at London auction house Christie’s