Kadıköy, İstanbul
The first guest of our interview series, where we talk to Istanbul’s creative voices about stories rooted in the city, is Derin Ekin Kenter, founder of Derin Print Shop.
Opening directly onto the streets of Kadıköy, Derin Print Shop feels a little different from a typical artist studio - with its resident cats and visitors arriving from all over the world. Derin describes the space as a “collaborative printmaking studio.” Born in Ankara in 1998, Derin works here through a dual practice, producing both as a master printer and as an artist.
On the morning of the shoot, before the studio shutters are lifted, we’re greeted by a Denmark-plated camper parked across the street. When we ask about it, Derin tells us it belongs to an artist couple who have come to work at the studio. Having lived in Istanbul for years without ever wandering into this side of Kadıköy, we step inside - slightly surprised by the studio’s quiet power to bring people together.
Founded in 2021, Derin Print Shop has been home to Derin’s own work as well as ongoing artist collaborations for the past five years. Almost every month, the studio hosts a new artist, each producing their work alongside Derin in her role as master printer. Among the artists the studio has welcomed so far are Güneş Terkol, Larissa Araz, Toygun Özdemir, and Meena Hasan.
Focusing on studio routines, inspiring production practices, objects, mistakes, and conversations about Istanbul, the first film of our interview series is now ready to meet its audience.
Derin Ekin Kenter was born in Ankara in 1998. She studied printmaking at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bari in Italy. After returning to Turkey, she completed an internship at the Akbank Sanat Lithography Studio in Istanbul. In 2025, she worked as a printer at Borch Editions in Denmark. Since 2021, she has been continuing her own practice and artist collaborations at Derin Print Shop, based in Kadıköy, Istanbul.
Each month, our YouTube channel brings together conversations from artists’ inner worlds to stories of Istanbul.
A Film by ait istanbul & Poolfolks
Video Artists: Yiğit Demir, Kadir Özer
Photography: Kerem Günaydınlar
Artist Programming: Tuna Pektaş
Art Direction: Eylül Günaydınlar
Graphic Design: Kutay Yılmaz, Buğra Örs
Project Development: Darya Anzabi,
Selin Kantarcıoğlu, Zeynep Atav
VIEW ALL DIALOGUE
