me?

My name is Sepideh (“Dawn” in Persian) and my last name is Jahanpanah (“The World’s Shelter” in Persian). Names always have meanings in Persian and I love to say that to everyone.

When I was 3 years old, I made a herd of sheep and a shepherd out of a smelly, grey coloured play-dough. I used lots of tiny objects I could find around me to shape the tiniest details of the faces and bottoms of the sheeps. I remember the shock on everyone’s faces.

When I was 10, I made a bowl out of a very rough clay with lots of goat hair in it that my dad had brought me. It was originally used to make traditional ceramic bread ovens and the hair played the role of armature. After the bowl was dry, I secretly put it inside of a heater for days. It came out actually pretty water resistance. At least I could paint it.

 

When I was a teenager, for the first time I saw a traditional way of glazing bowls, by pouring glaze over each piece a few times. It was an Iranian documentary. Not in my wildest dreams I could imagine at that time that someday I would use exact same technique on my ceramic vessels. Now I call it Pour-patterning , a term I leaned from a book about Japanese ceramic.

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And then I grew up! I am Now an artist and a ceramist currently living and working in The Hague, The Netherlands.

I received a BA in Artisanal Crafts at Art University of Isfahan, Iran, and an MA in Artistic Research at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, Netherlands. 

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My artistic side is deeply inspired by my Persian background, an indescribably rich culture that goes back thousands of years and I am inevitably in love with. Apart from that, Japanese Ceramic and Wabi Sabi worldview has influenced me a lot also in the past few years. I am slowly developing my own style that is a combination of all these.

Throughout the years, my work has evolved from the fragility and vitality of organic materials, where I explored the cycle of life, death and decay through ephemeral artworks, to ceramics, focusing on enduring forms that embodies this cycle. With ceramic material, I try to channel the vitality of the production process into the material, leaving marks, textures, and imperfections visible to bring a sense of life and decay into a traditionally static medium. This approach allows viewers to engage more deeply with the pieces I make, discovering new layers of interpretation with each encounter. 

In my artistic practice, I allow the creative process to unfold organically, choosing not to impose strict control over my work. This approach, I believe, is a response to my upbringing in an over-controlled society in Iran, where my individuality and decision-making abilities were often stifled. Through my art, I reclaim a sense of freedom, allowing my work to be an honest reflection of my inner world. The surprises and imperfections in my creations are acts of resistance, embracing spontaneity and unpredictability, challenging the constraints of my past.

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 I made my first cup in 2020. Before that I had only made artworks. I now use clay to visualise my emotions for the world, nature, life and death in three dimensional forms. I am happy to make pieces that are going to be in peoples' houses whether to drink from or use as decoration.