Amelia’s Magazine | An Interview with Yasmin Dilekkaya of Yas-Ming Ceramics

Yas Ming ceramics by Lauren KellyYas -Ming by Lauren Kelly

I’m a big fan of collaborations and the wonders they can produce, and Yas-Ming Ceramics is no exception. Begotten from a project between Yasmin Dilekkaya and Ming Wai Sun during their time at University for the Creative Arts in Rochester, these animal mugs, bowls and other items could give the Urban Outfitters homeware section a run for its money. Talking-pieces as well as beautiful kitchen thingymabobs, their handcrafted ceramics are slip-cast, with press moulding and hand building also used in their creation.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming  (1)

Fun is vital part of the brand and the product lines are named accordingly: Moo Cups, Rawr Bowls, Oink, Squeak and Nay. The mugs are my fave, available with an animal head or a bum on the mug instead of a handle, you can choose from a delicate giraffe, fierce lion, stern horse, cute pig, grumpy cow and majestic ram. There’s all sorts of other stuff too including bowls with animal faces and posteriors, dishes with adorable characters patiently watching you munch down your nosh, and even little ceramic chopstick holders that let your eating implements have a quick rest.

Having bumped into Yas at the Ohh Deer Pop-Launch and spent an evening with her talking about ceramics, I can confirm that not only are the products from this exquisite little brand lovely, but the people behind it are too. I spoke to Co-Founder Yasmin Dilekkaya about mugs with bums and getting a creative company off the ground.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming

Can you tell me a little about both yourself and Ming?
We met while we where studying on an Applied Arts degree, Ming Wai was born in Hong Kong and is now living in the UK with her husband and daughter. I have a Turkish Cypriot background, but born and grew up in England. Our multicultural backgrounds were a stimulus and inspiration to us while designing and making at university.

Yas Ming by Lilly Allen
Yas-Ming by Lilly Allen

How did you get the idea for the mugs? 
In our final year at uni, as a year group, we had to raise money for our end of year Graduate Show. At this point I was making a set of Turkish coffee cups and Ming Wai was making beautifully elaborate 3D ceramic picture frames that had animals coming out of them.  We had the idea of attaching the animals to the cups so we had a product that we could sell around university.  The cups were really popular so after Graduation we decided to see how much further we could push the idea.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming ceramics by Lauren Kelly
Yas -Ming by Lauren Kelly

Why did you start making the mugs with ‘bums’?
In the beginning we experimented a lot with cutting the animals in half and seeing where they worked on the cups/bowls and we thought it was a fun idea to have bums as handles as well as the heads.

Which events have you been at in the last year, and what do you have planned for future?
In the past year we have been part of lots of great events from trade shows to markets and pop-up shops. We have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic organisations. Highlights include being selected by The Secret Emporium to be part of their Christmas Market and their Boxpark Pop-Up. Also, exhibiting in Launchpad at Pulse, getting to meet lots of new potential stockists and being part of the Ohh Deer Pop-up where we have been asked to run a ceramic workshop. We have another pop-up with Crafty Fox and Brixi next month, with lots to look forward to in the coming months.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming

What kind of reactions do the pieces usually get? 
They generally get a great reaction, sometimes it takes a while for people to register what they are looking at, and you can watch as their face goes from confused to a smile. There are always lots of smiles, laughter, and people love to pick them up and try out holding them.

Can you explain the process that goes into making the mugs?
We use moulds to cast the animals and moulds to cast the cups/bowls/dishes, once they are out of their moulds the two pieces are carefully attached together by hand and put into the kiln for the first firing. They then get glazed and put into the kiln for a second time.

Yas Ming by Lilly Allen 2
Yas-Ming by Lilly Allen

Is handcrafting your products important to you, or do you think in future you would consider mass-production? 
It is important to us, we use traditional techniques and are proud that each piece is touched and crafted by the hand of a skilled craftsperson. It gives the work personality and quirks that you would not get from factory mass-production.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming

Do you have a favourite animal?
That’s such a hard question, I have favourite animals for different products. I like the Rat Oink because I like the way he looks when he has sauce in the dish. The Cow Rawr is also a favourite, I use it for my cereal most days. The Giraffe Moo I also love as it’s is beautifully elegant.

What’s the greatest challenge of setting up a business? 
Like a lot of new businesses we have had a huge amount of challenges, ours were mostly kiln problems and production issues at the start. Now we have some great people in Stoke helping us produce the products, the challenges have changed.

How do you take your tea? 
Two sugars and not much milk.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming by Nikki Miles
Yas-Ming by Nikki Miles

To get your hands on these Baa-utiful ceramics, check out the Yas-Ming website at www.yas-ming.co.uk

Categories ,animals, ,Applied Arts, ,Boxpark, ,Brixi, ,cast, ,chopsticks, ,Clay, ,Crafty Fox, ,glazed, ,Graduate Show, ,graduation, ,Homeware, ,jessicasrcook, ,Lauren Kelly, ,Lilly Allen, ,moulds, ,Mugs, ,Nikki Miles, ,Ohh Deer, ,Pulse, ,The Secret Emporium, ,trade shows, ,workshop, ,Yas-Ming, ,Yasmin Dilekkaya

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Next up: my recommendations for mugs. Yes, a whole blog devoted to the sexiest mug designs: I can’t resist them! There is nothing better than a good cup of tea in a beautifully designed and well proportioned mug, so I’ve scoured the internet to bring you these great designs: just in time for Christmas.

lisa jones jungle lion mug
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1973 graffika mugs
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ben javens mug
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dupenny 50s housewive mug
For something a bit more saucy how about a 50s housewives cavorting with her washing, on mugs designed by Dupenny.

Kate clarke london mugs
Then hop on over to Kate Clarke London for bright and happy homewares: a Craft Central discovery.

Gemma Correll pugs not drugs mug
Also from Beast in Show, Gemma Correll‘s classic Pugs Not Drugs design now comes on a mug: I love the detail on the base inside. Mmm, Biscuits, indeed.

Bone China 'Acorn' mug by Donna Wilson
Donna Wilson turns her hand to ceramics with this lovely bone china mug featuring a mid-century-inspired Acorn design, available from Soma Gallery.

ingela-p-arrhenius-porcelain-tree-mug
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There are many more gift ideas to come… and to read all about my best cushion finds, click here.

Categories ,1973, ,50s Housewife, ,Acorn mug, ,Animal, ,Beast in Show, ,Beaver mug, ,Ben Javens, ,Bird, ,Bone China, ,ceramics, ,Christmas, ,craft, ,Craft Central, ,design, ,designer, ,Donna Wilson, ,Dupenny, ,Fox and Cubs Mug, ,Freya Lines. Stoke-on-Trent, ,Gemma Correll, ,gifts, ,Grafika, ,graphic, ,Homeware, ,Hus and Hem, ,illustration, ,Ingela P Arrhenius, ,Jungle Lion mug, ,Kate Clarke London, ,Lisa Jones, ,Lush Designs, ,Mugs, ,Optical, ,Porcelain, ,Pugs Not Drugs mug, ,retro, ,Scandinavian, ,Soma Gallery, ,Stoke-on-Trent, ,tea, ,To Dry For

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Amelia’s Magazine | Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Top Ten Best Mugs by Illustrators and Designers

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Beaver Mug by Lisa Jones. I *love* beavers so I was super excited to find this. No really, don’t laugh.

Next up: my recommendations for mugs. Yes, a whole blog devoted to the sexiest mug designs: I can’t resist them! There is nothing better than a good cup of tea in a beautifully designed and well proportioned mug, so I’ve scoured the internet to bring you these great designs: just in time for Christmas.

lisa jones jungle lion mug
I was so pleased to discover that Lisa Jones has applied her wonderful retro style critters to bone china mugs.

Lush Designs Fox and Cubs Mug
I am a massive fan of Lush Designs – two designers who work together to create totally inimitable artwork – think wild boars, swinging monkeys, strutting cats, all with gold detailing. We have their fine bone china mugs at home and I LOVE THEM. They were meant as gifts but they never left the house…

1973 graffika mugs
I love 1973, and not just because this husband and wife team were born in 1973 (and so was I) – their shapely new Grafika mugs bear bold optical designs.

Leaf Branch Mug LavenderGrey Freya Lines
And for something a bit more subtle, how about this leaf branch mug by Freya Lines? Originally created in pencil and watercolour, then digitally printed onto china in Stoke-on-Trent.

ben javens mug
Fab character illustrator Ben Javens has created this fun landscape design for new website Beast in Show, an off shoot of To Dry For.

dupenny 50s housewive mug
For something a bit more saucy how about a 50s housewives cavorting with her washing, on mugs designed by Dupenny.

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Then hop on over to Kate Clarke London for bright and happy homewares: a Craft Central discovery.

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Also from Beast in Show, Gemma Correll‘s classic Pugs Not Drugs design now comes on a mug: I love the detail on the base inside. Mmm, Biscuits, indeed.

Bone China 'Acorn' mug by Donna Wilson
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ingela-p-arrhenius-porcelain-tree-mug
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Categories ,1973, ,50s Housewife, ,Acorn mug, ,Animal, ,Beast in Show, ,Beaver mug, ,Ben Javens, ,Bird, ,Bone China, ,ceramics, ,Christmas, ,craft, ,Craft Central, ,design, ,designer, ,Donna Wilson, ,Dupenny, ,Fox and Cubs Mug, ,Freya Lines. Stoke-on-Trent, ,Gemma Correll, ,gifts, ,Grafika, ,graphic, ,Homeware, ,Hus and Hem, ,illustration, ,Ingela P Arrhenius, ,Jungle Lion mug, ,Kate Clarke London, ,Lisa Jones, ,Lush Designs, ,Mugs, ,Optical, ,Porcelain, ,Pugs Not Drugs mug, ,retro, ,Scandinavian, ,Soma Gallery, ,Stoke-on-Trent, ,tea, ,To Dry For

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