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COLUMBIA

Inspired by Turkey
Things out of my heart

by Dilek aydincioglu

As I think of making a clay form, I feel like 1am pulling
out a thing from inside of me. A thing yet unknown,
formless and from the subconscious and feelings. I am
using handbuilding techniques to realize and to convey
these abstract meanings in clay. But where do these
meanings and feelings come from?

I was born and raised in Istanbul. When I was a kid, my
mother used to take me on long walks in her homeland
of Kinali Island or “Proti” in Greek, one of the Princess
Islands on the Marmara Sea. This would happen only
during the southwesterly winds, since the back side of the
island would always be calm and silent. It would take us
two hours to walk to the top of the island and then down
the hill to the calm sea. On our way, my mom knew some
spots to dig out dry red clay. I would collect as much as
I could carry and start dreaming of the worlds I could
make once I reached the sea shore.

I officially started pottery in 1998 at Atelier Camurdan,
Ankara, as I was finishing my degree in Hindology. The
potters of the atelier used handbuilding techniques
to create the big modern pots and murals inspired by
Anatolian legends. With the artists’ unique symbolism and
form of understanding, these works were Mother Earth-
centred forms. We used dull red clay from the periphery
of Ankara and grogged fire clay which has a wide range
of use by the studio potters in Turkey. Oxides were mixed
with white and red clays to prepare slip variations and
Ulexite (NaCaB509°8H20) was used to make glazes.

Now in my Istanbul studio, I use fine grogged fire clay
and orange-red clay which I order from the potters of
Aydin, Menemen. I use pinching and coiling methods
to create my pots. My glazes are very simple and I like
exploring industrial glazes. I have an electric kiln and a
taku kiln which I use when I have a space to set it up.
Sometimes it is a friend’s garden or an artist’s warehouse.
I also make saggar pots which I place inside the kiln. I
make them in different sizes and shapes and they have
long thin conic chimneys that can be hooked to the main
excavation pipe. I nest low-fire glazed and gold enamel
decorated pieces in a bed of sawdust and then fire up to
700°C inside these saggar pots. This method is a lot of
fun especially for experimenting with industrial glazes. In
reduction atmospheres, the colours are surprising!

My studio is always full of found materials. I see
poetical scenes in a group of unrelated objects. I see an
intended use and recall something. I sometimes study its
design to create mine for a similar use or I use it directly

Potters Guild of BC Newsletter « April 2008

in the studio. I use newspapers, for example, to support
the clay and sometimes I make paper molds that allow
me to change the shape of the mold anytime I want. That
way I feel a sense of rightness. Once a form is done, |
like to undo and redo. Without undoing I am losing the
meaning of rightness.

My work is sculptural and when | mix it with
functional design it becomes an object that provokes
thought, something much needed in this era. Pieces that
are made by an artist who empathizes with her culture
and environment will inevitably influence the audience.
I see this as a natural process: empathy and awareness
transform an artist’s abstract feelings into a real three-
dimensional thing. This thing becomes a part of others’
reality and provokes us into thinking and feeling from
the heart. e
Dilek aydincioglu moved to
Vancouver in 1999, became a member
of the PGBC and joined the Pottery
Club at the Trout Lake Community
Center. In 2000, she attended the
3rd International Mashiko Ceramic
Competition and won the citation and
the catalogue award. Dilek participated
in Made in Clay, BC in Box and some interdisciplinary
group exhibitions in Vancouver during her stay. Now back in
Istanbul, she continues to be a member of the PGBC.

shadbolt centre:

Spring 2008 Ceramic Programs
To register, call 604.291.6864 or visit:
www.burnaby.ca/webreg

Continuing Pottery

Tuesdays, 7-10 p.m., $147.38, 8 sessions
Instructor: Rosemary Amon

Starts April 15, barcode #155214

Portraits in Clay

Mondays, 7-10 p.m., $91.01, 4 sessions
Instructor: Debra Sloan

Starts April 21, barcode #155238

Printing Images on Clay

Saturdays, 10 am-1 p.m., $152.53, 6 sessions
Instructor: Sabrina Keskula

Starts April 19, barcode #155252

Throw & Build

Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m., $147.38, 8 sessions
Instructor: Fredi Rahn

Starts April 16, barcode #155265

Register now by calling 604.291.6864