I’m a first-gen American, daughter of a Turkish woodworker, and was raised in a design-rich environment that has influenced who I am and my current body of work. Geometry, texture, play, symbolism, color, and functionality all emanate from the artistic environment in which I was raised. I draw upon my cultural heritage to bring a unique, imaginative sensibility to my work.
—Didem Mert
Didem Mert was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH. She received her BFA from Northern Kentucky University and her MFA from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Mert's work was published in Ceramics Monthly’s 2014 Undergraduate Showcase, and she was featured on the cover of Pottery Making Illustrated’s Jan/Feb 2016 issue as well as CFile’s list of 15 Potters to Watch in 2016. Mert was also featured in Architectural Digest’s 10 Ceramic Artists Giving Pottery A Modern Update, and was honored as one of Ceramics Monthly’s Emerging Artists of 2018. She has been an artist-in-residence at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts as well as the Archie Bray Foundation. She currently lives in Sebastopol, California, working as a full-time studio potter and artist.