Clay Studio Leiden

Clay Studio Leiden is a professional ceramic studio in Leiden run by founder and ceramic artist Ipek Kotan, who has 19+ years of experience as a ceramist and a master's degree in ceramic design from Staffordshire University in England. 

Ipek's art journey is quite a tale. From creating pieces for Cartier (watch short film below documenting the process on her art website), Christian Liaigre and Barneys New York to even catching the eye of a First Lady, she's been interviewed by prestigious publications like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. She has had solo exhibitions in art galleries in New York, Boston, Berlin, Bath, Brussels, and Freiburg and her work is in more than 250 private art collections from San Francisco to Sao Paulo.

The studio welcomes ceramic enthusiasts of all levels, from complete beginners to advanced and offers a variety of workshops, courses, corporate team-building events for up to 20 people, as well as independent work space for those who have sufficient knowledge and experience.

Clay Studio Leiden is a beautifully decorated, cosy, impeccably clean and organized ceramic studio in the heart of Leiden featuring professional-quality materials, tools and equipment. 

The community draws participants from around 25 countries across five continents, spanning ages 16 to 72, and has hosted team events for individuals working at Airbus, IKEA, Shell, the European Space Agency, and Leiden University Medical Center.

Beyond teaching pottery skills like wheel-throwing, painting, and glazing, Clay Studio Leiden offers interns a chance to learn how a small, reputation-driven creative business runs day to day — from workshop planning and customer experience to community-building and event planning.

Ipek, the founder of Clay Studio Leiden personally trains her interns and assistants who are usually able to teach in her studio and sell professional quality works within 6 months. As an intern in her studio, you will learn from not just practical skills but also you will be working under an internationally recognized ceramic artist whose works are in museums (including the Boijmans Museum in Rotterdam) and hundreds of private art collections worldwide.