Alev Ebüzziya Siesbye, whose works are featured in the collections of 36 museums worldwide, is now showcasing her latest creations at Galeri Nev Istanbul, following her exhibitions at Fondation Cartier (Paris) and Pierre Marie Giraud (Brussels). The exhibition, running from February 25 to March 28, 2025, presents a selection of bowls predominantly in white tones, created by the artist in 2024. These works, crafted in various sizes, are displayed with a minimalist arrangement, emphasizing their inherent simplicity.
Alev Ebüzziya Siesbye’s signature stoneware bowls, which she has been producing for almost sixty years, are made possible through the oldest ceramic technique named coiling and a wooden kick-wheel as opposed to the predominant methods in ceramics, such as electronic wheels or moulding. Bearing the traces of the artist’s every touch, these bowls achieve the hardness and permanence of rock due to being fired at extremely high temperatures. With their wide, curving bodies and small bases that seem to vanish into their shadows, they create a striking impression of floating. Their sharp rims highlight the thinness and strength of their walls, gently curving outward to reveal the dark void within the bowl. The bowls are covered with a monochrome glaze and do not have any surface decoration, except for some which are decorated with horizontal lines that run along or just beneath the rim, to “prevent them from lifting off the ground”. Monumental regardless of their size, these works embody the delicate balance and manifest the tension between density and spaciousness, firmness and fragility, force and ease.
In her new exhibition, Ebüzziya continues to showcase her mastery of ceramics, inviting us to explore the subtle variations within simplicity and repetition. These tranquil pieces come to life with delicate, colorful edge details, thoughtfully diversified through tonal variations and varying sizes. This allows each bowl to develop its own unique language and rhythm. As a result, every form carries its own vibration, and each color resonates with a distinct harmony. Ebüzziya's works are the culmination of meticulous processes, from selecting the right clay and fine-tuning glaze recipes to achieve the ideal color, to refining the curves, bodies, and rims. Together, these details come together to create a harmonious balance in each piece.
*Alev Ebüzziya Siesbye (Istanbul, 1938) studied sculpture at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts between 1956 and 1958. She then worked at a ceramic factory in Höhr-Grenhausen, and the Istanbul Eczacıbaşı Art Studio. In 1963, Alev Ebüzziya moved to Copenhagen, and started to work at the Royal Copenhagen, Denmark’s Royal Porcelain Factory. She founded her first studio in Copenhagen in 1969 and opened her first solo exhibition at Galerie Birkdam in 1971. In 1987, the artist moved to Paris where she currently resides. In 2002, Ebüzziya’s retrospective exhibitions were held at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul, and the Copenhagen Decorative Arts Museum. The artist, who has been awarded many honors, including the 2022 Danmarks Nationalbank’s Anniversary Foundation Honor Award and the Aydın Doğan Award, has had her works exhibited at institutions such as the Museum of Decorative Arts (Copenhagen), Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam), City Museum (Helsingborg), National Museum (Stockholm), Kunstgewerbemuseum (Cologne), Victoria & Albert Museum (London), Kunst Museum (Aarhus), Kestner Museum (Hannover), Danish State Art Foundation (Copenhagen), Musée Bellerive (Zurich), Coburg Museum (Coburg), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles), Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris), Kunstindustrimuseum (Oslo), Princessehof Museum (Leeuwarden), Royal Scottish Museum (Edinburgh), Ulster Museum (Belfast), and Fondation Cartier (Paris), and her works are part of many international collections.
*Galeri Nev Istanbul is open to visitors from Tuesday to Friday from 11 am to 6.30 pm and on Saturdays from 12 pm to 6.30 pm.
