The Turkish, Sydney-Based mostly Designer Making ‘Awkward’ Stackable Ceramics We Love
After graduating from a design diploma in 2009, it didn’t take Elif Esmez lengthy to grasp she was extra of a tactile one that wished to ‘work along with her fingers’ in methods past sitting at a pc.
‘I began to take some primary hand constructing ceramic courses to learn to work with clay principally, and that was the hook!’ Elif says. ‘It’s been nearly 10 years now and I nonetheless have a lot ardour for it.’
Elif nonetheless works at a pc typically — as a contract graphic designer — however following years of working at a number of ceramic manufacturing studios of various merchandise, she lately determined to launch her personal design studio, ESMEZ. She lately revealed her debut assortment, ITSEF.
ISTIF means ‘stack of/stacking’ in Turkish and describes Elif’s pedestal plates that are available numerous sizes designed to be stacked. The end result sees mini mountains of milky white and pastel ceramics which are each decorative and purposeful.
‘I’ve all the time been attracted by the form of pedestal plates and bowls, however truly the concept was making a product with a couple of operate and completely different makes use of, not restricted to desk setups or meals serving,’ Elif says.
She sees her items as a multipurpose ‘clean canvases’ for the person to interpret nonetheless they want, whether or not that’s as a centrepiece for a cocktail party; a window show; or as a unusual sculpture in their very own proper.
Utilizing ‘awkward’ or irregular as her inspiration, Elif begins her inventive course of with sketches on paper. ‘As soon as I really feel pleased with it, I form it out of clay and create the mannequin to make my plaster moulds,’ she says.
‘Ceramic manufacturing is a protracted handcrafting course of, particularly because the porcelain clay I exploit is so delicate to work with. Clay has a reminiscence — the way you deal with it within the course of exhibits that in the long run.’
The playful items reveal tender textures and dents of Elif’s gentle contact.
Elif says she already has plans to create the same assortment, however this outing of glass. We will’t wait to see what she does subsequent!
