Why Studio Pottery?

If you're used to seeing uniformly finished ceramic products, holding a handcrafted pot can instinctively feel both intimate and wondrous.

Handmade platters and thrown vases in stoneware

When a neighbour dropped in to have tea the other day, she casually remarked that she wouldn't use expensive tableware on a daily basis because it would likely break. I knew then it was time to share my perspective and bust some myths.

Handmade pots are crafted with care

A pot that anyone has made with a personal touch will obviously feel intimate. What draws you to it are not qualities like perfection but quite the opposite. Just like we appreciate honest people even with all their quirks, what will appeal to you in is not skill but something larger that connects with you. You'll realise that you speak the same aesthetic language.

A potter spends time and energy refining their craft. Yes, there are years of practice, discarded projects, tears of frustration but behind what you see is also the magic and the passion to persistently show up, to create something that only exists in one's imagination. It's that uniqueness, the exquisiteness of no two pieces ever being alike that speaks to you. Each firing will produce a different result, no matter that the clay or glaze is the same. It's chemistry and physics, art and design, all of nature's elements at play, all rolled into one.

Needless to say, what takes effort will cost more than what can be produced in bulk in a factory setting. But this relatively small treat will surely bring you or a loved one immense joy. The experience of sipping tea from your favourite mug that sits just right in your hand or eating from a bowl that was personalised just for you and has sentimental value is just incomparable. So what if it requires some care in handling? It's still worth it.

Unmatched pieces can make a collection

As a collector, you'll probably buy ware not in one go but over time. What ties them together is your own preference of colour or texture. Some people like eclectic things, some like a particular style. Even if two people like understated tones, one may like classic design and the other may like a contemporary look. Clay is an exhaustive medium and there are as many expressions as there are potters. You'll find that each one's work is an extension of their personality, in a way. So you're bound to connect with one thing or another.

Art is art, just the medium is different

Many people don't hesitate to spend on a painting but balk at the thought of purchasing ceramic art. As long as it feels like a fit and will brings you joy, I'd say, go for it! A quirky mug with human feet or a dish that looks like your cat, they're conversation starters. A cheese platter that looks like rock or a daintily painted bowl that reminds you of mom; an abstract sculpture of a bird or a realistic sea creature, these are things that can take you on an inner journey. Just like textile or culinary arts are living traditions, so is pottery. It's timeless and has been passed down generations and at the same time, has also evolved into a contemporary language across civilisations and cultures. People all over the world have always had an inherent desire to celebrate all that's beautiful.