“What draws me to the motif of ceramics is the deep sense of connection they evoke in me,” says Deniz Kurdak. The London-based artist is fascinated by blue and white porcelain—a style that originated in China as early as the 7th century and was widely imitated and collected around the world—and the way certain pieces inspire fame. She adds, “They even found their way to my grandmother’s house.”
Themes of identity, belonging and memory play central roles in Kurdak’s work, as she draws on personal history and bases her compositions on real objects that remind her of pieces her grandmother owned.
“Growing up with an abusive father, I found sanctuary in my grandparents’ house—a safe, predictable, and nurturing space where I felt accepted,” the artist tells Colossal. “Along with my admiration for blue and white porcelain, my passion for textiles and embroidery was passed on by my grandmother.”
Bringing conceptual elements to craft, a craft traditionally dismissed in art circles as ‘women’s work’, she emphasizes expression and story. “I enjoy reimagining the acts of cutting, stitching, and embroidery as forms of emotional repair,” she says, “allowing me to reconstruct and navigate the complexities of my personal history.”
Long associated with its calming and meditative nature, “embroidery has become both a medium and a mode of reflection in my artistic process,” says Kurdak. Apparently at odds with making intimate and methodical attachments, her images suggest the violence of rupture, suddenness and the relationship between ornament and utility.
Kurdak is intrigued by dualities – Fragility and Resilience, Connectedness and Displacement – that reflect the tensions and contradictions of the human condition. Contrasting brittle yet durable porcelain with bend yet resistant fabric and wire, she emphasizes polarities in merging the ideas together.
Blue and white porcelain mainly inspires Kurdak’s compositions, but she also creates red, green or multicolored pieces in textiles. She uses a wide range of needlework and fabric techniques, including applique, lacework and embroidery. Vases appear to melt in streams, lacy decorations float above the surface and motifs rearrange into puzzle-like lattices or dynamic swirls.
If you’re in London, “Willow” is currently showing on the Young Masters Art Prize final exhibition until April 8. Kurdak’s work will be included in Collect art fair Opening at Somerset House at the end of February, followed by Affordable art fair in New York in March. Learn more about her websiteand followed updates about Instagram.
