The Art of Culinary Ceramic by Dilek Aydincioglu

48 TURKNETWORK | AUGUST 2025

Articel by Sara Jensen

Each piece is a visual and emotional gift-inviting warmth, memory, and meaning to the table.

Dilek Aydincioglus nine-year culinary journey began in Istanbul, where she collaborated with chefs and hotel restaurants as a HoReCa designer and

maker, later expanding her practice across Washington, DC, and Montreal. With over 25 years of experience in sculptural ceramic art, she became the first utilitarian form maker to introduce a new approach to the chefs' table in Istanbul through her brand, Astras Ceramics.

Her work redefined the relationship between object and experience in the culinary world, offering chefs thoughtfully designed, hand-built pieces that transcend function.

This contemporary approach introduced a ceramic language that speaks beyond the plate, reimagining the dining experience as a multi-sensory dialogue between form, material, and culinary expression. Each object is created one by one using hand-building techniques, never involving mass production-allowing for deep material experimentation, refined control over the durability of the clay body, innovative layering methods, with rich multicultural, nature-inspired aesthetic references. Grounded in a contemporary branding philosophy, her work bridges traditional craftsmanship with forward-thinking design.

With this philosophy, she quickly became a sought-after artist in the culinary world, particularly recognized for her bespoke and personalized ceramic collections tailored to chefs* ever-evolving seasonal menus. Her ability to transform a singular base form into a series of unexpected variations not only captivated restaurant owners but also offered a visual and emotional gift to guests at the chefs table. Each piece became part of the narrative, warming the space with its uniqueness and evoking a sense of place, memory, and cultural depth.

Just like the way she shapes clay in her hands, her ceramics shape the atmosphere of the table— inviting warmth, intimacy, and a deeper emotional connection between chef, dish, and guest.

Her sculptural ceramic works have been featured in numerous exhibitions, including several prestigious international showcases.

Notably, she participated in exhibitions supported by the philanthropist and entrepreneur Ayashi Family under Gallery Armaggan Art and Design, such as the SOHO Chicago Art and Design Exhibition and the Hilton Asmus Gallery. Her work has also been exhibited at the Artist's Proof Gallery in Washington, DC, and the Seattle Design Center, alongside the NCECA Conference exhibition series in Hous-ton, curated by Isik Gençoglu. In recognition of her artistic excellence, Dilek Aydincioglu was awarded at the 3rd Mashiko International Ceramic Competition in Mashiko, Japan-an important acknowledgment of her unique contribution to contemporary ceramic art on the global stage.

Her most recent project continues her exploration of form and feeling: a collection of unique, organic porcelain pieces crafted using the Japanese Nerikomi (agateware) technique, created for the winter 2025 seasonal menu at Neolokal, a Michelin-starred restaurant nestled atop the Salt Museum, facing the Golden Horn.

Designed in close dialogue with multiple award-winning chef Maksut Askar, the series reflects Dilek Aydincioglu's enduring philosophy-to shape objects that carry the quiet resonance of the earth while speaking boldly at the table.

Designing for Neolokal's Anatolian culinary heritage and cultural memory, these works embody a collaboration between client and maker-translating the chefs vision into her ceramics as vessels of narrative, intimacy, and uniqueness in each piece, bringing the taste of Anatolia to the table. Made using the hand-building technique, the Neolokal collection has come to represent an emotionally resonant design approach-where form, material, and meaning are interwoven to heighten the sensory experience at the table. Committed to pushing the boundaries of ceramic artistry, Dilek continues to pursue new collaborations and foster artful dialogue within the culinary and artistic communities.

Her works can be viewed on Instagram at @astrasceramics and @astrasceramique, as well as on her websites www.astrasceramics.com , astrasceramque.com and www.dilekaydincioglu.com, where her research-driven projects are presented.

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