Hande Bilten Sanat Atölyesi

When I told my friend that I’m coming to Istanbul and would like to meet up with her for dinner, she told me that she’d like to introduce me to a little ceramic studio in Cihangir. (Having followed my Facebook postings about my pottery adventures in London, she knew that I would love this idea.)
The studio is run by Hande, and it really is a hidden gem. When we entered, she was just making little ceramic plates with the outlines of some of the famous Istanbul sights stencilled onto them, such as the Galata Tower or the Mermaid Tower. Her unique twist to these ceramic plates is that the off-​white plates is that she runs a needle through the holes and thus giving a whole new meaning to the idea of embroidering. (She’s selling them at the Istanbul Modern, by the way.)
This is certainly not your usual ceramic studio, where you can buy pots and bowls. In fact, here you can buy jewellery made of porcelain, such as necklaces or pendants and even rings. I would definitely recommend popping in for a visit and even see the artist herself at work…