Shaping more than clay: Turkish artists redefine ceramics on world stage

Welcome to Al-Monitor Istanbul.

This week, we explore the triumphs of Turkish artists — and chefs — making waves abroad. From gilded bowls in New York to floral shreds in London and Turkish dumplings that span Istiklal to Soho, this edition celebrates those shaping culture well beyond home.

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Thanks for reading,

Nazlan (@NazlanEr on X)

P.S. Have tips on Istanbul’s culture scene? Send them my way at nertan@al-monitor.com.

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1. Leading the week: Making bowls and breaking them

Alev Ebuzziya Siesby’s bowls with palladium and gold leaf, a new approach to her minimalist work, displayed at Salon 94, New York. (Salon 94 website)

Two Turkish artists — Alev Ebuzziya Siesbye and Burcak Bingol — are elevating ceramics to a global stage, from gilded stillness in Manhattan to fractured florals in London’s Regent’s Park.

At Salon 94 in New York, 87-year-old Alev Ebuzziya Siesbye continues to hand-coil her signature creations — minimalist ceramic bowls known for their perfect balance, sensual curves and quiet elegance. Born in Istanbul and trained across Europe, she has spent decades refining this form with endless variations. Her latest exhibition, “Vibrations,” introduces a bold twist: bowls coated in palladium and gold leaf, glowing but with her trademark elegance. Presented alongside the exhibition is “Studio Ceramist” (2007), a ten-minute film by the Turkish artist Ali Kazma, featured here last week, that portrays Siesbye at work.

Meanwhile, the daring artist Burcak Bingol has been invited to show in London at Frieze Sculpture 2025 (Sept. 17–Nov. 2), this year themed “In the Shadows.” Born in Gorele, on the Black Sea, and raised in Ankara, Bingol holds a PhD Hacettepe University and studied photography at the New School, New York. A multidisciplinary artist, she primarily works with ceramics, drawing and photography in exploring the themes of tradition-alienation, identity and frailty.

Burcak Bingol, “Broken II” (left) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, alongside Iznik tiles. (Courtesy of Burcak Bingol, 2024)

Aside from her great wall of broken vases at Arkas Alacati Arts Center, my favourite work is “Follower” — a series of ceramic “surveillance cameras” glazed with floral motifs and installed across Istanbul during the 2017 Istanbul Biennial. Her new Frieze work continues her inquiry into displacement and belonging through fractured form.

One perfects the vessel;  the other smashes and reassembles it. Either way, they’re shaping more than clay.

2. Word on the street: Yeni

Workers preparing dishes at Yeni Restaurant. (Yeni website)

After pondering Burcak Bingol’s broken florals at Frieze Fair, put yourself back together over dinner at Yeni, in Soho, the London sibling of Istanbul’s beloved Yeni Lokanta. Chef Civan Er brings Anatolian comfort food into the 21st century: fermented yogurt with sour cherry, manti stuffed with smoked aubergine, and savory meats. The Istanbul original is tucked behind Istiklal Street and just as inventive, with local wines and modern takes on childhood delights. Two cities, one menu, proving Turkish cuisine travels well.

3. Istanbul diary

Lin May Saeed, “Seven Sleepers,” now on display at “The Lives of Animals” at Salt. (Photo courtesy of Jacky Strenz)

At SALT Beyoglu, “Between Care and Violence: The Dogs of Istanbul” exhibition has opened a powerful archive on how the city’s street dogs have been watched, moved and killed. Part of the thought-provoking exhibition “The Lives of Animals,” curator Mine Yildirim traces a century of canine life through official records and field notes. Don’t miss the final guided tour on Aug. 9.

The Kalamis Summer Festival kicks off under the stars with the tear-jerker cult film “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalim” followed by a concert by Burcu Gunes. Through Sept. 3, Kalamis Park hosts an open-air mix of music and movies ranging from “The Big Lebowski” to “La La Land.” Tickets and info are available here.

Galeri Zilberman’s “Young Fresh Different” returns for its 14th edition in Istanbul, with emerging artists in everything from AI-generated stories to biological traces. Meanwhile, its Berlin sibling brings together a dozen artists grappling with belonging and cultural context for two shows, two cities, and plenty to think about.