An urban planner with a lot of passion for designing, a lot of astrology knowledge, very connected to the universe and its languages, and a gigantic need of putting her talents on something that would be aesthetic and therapeutic.
That is how Derya Yaman, 28, started her own ceramic business, 7th House Ceramics. Before her idea turned into business, Derya was studying in Italy and came back to Istanbul after the end of her Masters to visit family.
“I was preparing my portfolio to apply for architecture offices, and I was taking ceramic classes for fun. Suddenly Covid appeared and I had to suspend my job applications. Meanwhile, I’ve transformed one of my rooms into a small ceramic atelier and I was sharing my pieces with my friends and family.”
Very connected to the human psychology of mind, body and soul, the artist tells The Dank Project how she found the process of producing a piece made of clay requires patience and affection - such as humans and their relationships and themselves.
“Something that was always a big interest for me is: what is happening beyond our bodies/material world? What is happening inside? With all these questions in mind I was trying to find tools that would help me discover and understand myself - and consequently other people”, affirms. “Books, spiritual practices, meditation, painting, writing and recently astrology were some of my tools for this search.”
“My clay and ceramic pieces became my favorite tools to discover the desires of my soul and the driving force of these desires. The clay has a long and patient journey which I find similarities with human life, daily life and relationships.”
With such affection being concentrated in each piece produced, Derya decided to take this as a business opportunity instead of just a hobby - and so 7th House Ceramics was born.
“I am inspired by my spiritual journey on earth, my breakdowns, inner child, inner grandmother, nature, my dog, my lovers, disappointments, longings and basically everything I’m in relation to. 7th House Ceramics sometimes meet you as minimal and fun tableware and sometimes as spiritual practical products - but always the pieces I love to create.”
What is the 7th House?
“7th house as an astrological term translates to how we meet other people and their needs and how we find the balance”, explains the creator. “Like yin & yang, it helps us to understand there are polarities within life. These polarities need to change each other, need to work together, and need to support each other. I have an emphasis on the 7th house and 1st house axis in my birth chart and I think the only thing that really lasts is the relationships we build with others and with ourselves.”
Based in her apartment in Cihangir (Istanbul), Derya intends to keep exploring her art and translating all the feelings into her objects aesthetically. “I like to use every possible technique while making my pieces. Sometimes with slabs, coils, pinching or sometimes with molds.”
As a spontaneous person, she likes to go with the flow with what the future reserves, but we should expect a website focused on her products soon. 7th House Ceramics can be found for the moment on their Etsy profile for worldwide deliveries. For purchases within Turkey, you can check their Instagram profile for details.