Clay dates
Elph Ceramics
Bless parents who persevere with their children’s clumsily made ceramic gifts. For years, these misshapen bowls and cups sit as receptacles for dust and decomposing household insects, lop-sided and lump-like, until a credible excuse for their disappearance can be safely offered.
For a long time, ceramics were considered in terms of these well-meaning but oft-grotesque results of art class, or as those brown, chunky iterations of the ’70s, which have haunted op-shop shelves since fondue was the height of culinary sophistication.
But things are changing. You may have noticed that ceramics have become very chic. Even the DIY variety. There is a huge trend toward handmade objects and ceramics are at the forefront of the movement.
“Pottery is an interesting one because it sits between function and art,” says Sophie Rankine from Paddington's Elph Ceramics.
Rankine and her ceramicist sister, Eloise, first began their business in 2015 at the Finders Keepers markets before setting up their ethereal little shop in William St. They recently moved production to their farm in the Southern Highlands, but their Paddington store continues to entice passers-by with Eloise's elegant made objects..
Rankine has seen the popularity of ceramics surge in the past two-to-three years. She believes the demand for classes, along with a reinvigorated fondness for handmade products, is growing because people are yearning to connect with the objects they use and those who make them.
“Most people are pretty avid coffee drinkers and having a specific mug or cup can really elevate your daily ritual,” she says.
Bondi Clay
While Elph Ceramics hosts only the occasional bespoke class on the Southern Highlands property, Rankine has noticed more and more people seeking out regular pottery workshops to try their hand at everything from pinch pots to throwing. This willingness to get hands dirty is part practicality, in that people can make something they will use, but it’s also a little more emotive. Feeling your fingers squelch into slippery clay has a certain curative effect.
“A lot of people like the slow down, and that physical making is very therapeutic,” says Rankine.
Kayde Clemans, owner of Bondi Clay and the newly opened ClayGround in Rosebery, agrees. “Pottery is both mentally and physically beneficial. Not only as a stress reliever, it also helps with focus, joint dexterity, in building a community and friendships — there are so many things you can touch on to benefit you,” he says.
Having dabbled with pottery since he was a child, Clemans rekindled a love for making while at university as a means to diffuse stress. Soon enough, he outgrew the beginner pottery class he was attending, but couldn’t find a space to take his ceramics to the next level.
So in August 2019, he opened the beautifully airy Bondi Clay on Flood St as a means to not only progress his own craft, but to offer something to his local community as well.
It’s not just kids and giggly gaggles of hens’ parties who love the opportunity to get glazed. Bondi Clay appeals to many clay-curious adults, from date-nighters to octogenarians.
“We do a wide selection of classes, workshops and memberships,” says Clemans. “I think our oldest member is 80, which is pretty great.”
Porch & Parlour
After Bondi Clay’s success, Clemans wanted to ensure his students had the opportunity to progress, so he opened ClayGround earlier this year. “The thought process was to create a full cycle. So anyone can go from beginner all the way through, inside our studio, to become a master potter,” he says.
In fact, he’s already had one student create a business from the ceramics she makes at ClayGround.
While not everyone will mould a new career, the fact there is demand for casual classes to turn into serious, weekly hobbies or even side hustles indicates the trend is just getting fired up.
“If you look at the UK and US, they’re exploding with ceramics. We’re catching up,” says Clemans. “We’re going into a digital era, so ceramics is almost the antidote to modern life. It allows you to reconnect and reground yourself.”
Certainly, the repetitive, meditative nature of moulding a rudimentary piece of earth offers a chance for introspection. Even if your end product doesn’t quite marry with the vision in your mind’s eye, the process is the point.
As both Rankine and Clemans have found, you’ll not only come out with a piece to cherish, but an appreciation for the skill of ceramists, and perhaps, most valuable of all, some inner zen.
GOING POTTY
Local options for pottery classes
The Pottery Shed
Larger-sized classes where you can learn to throw, trim and glaze.
7 Nickson St, Surry Hills
thepotteryshed.com.au
Bondi Clay
Classes for all ages and occasions, such as Date Night.
2-4 Flood St, Bondi
bondiclay.com
ClayGround
Membership-based studio without classes for those more advanced.
601 Botany Rd, Rosebery
bondiclay.com/clayground-memberships
Clay Sydney
Three large studios and classes such as Wine and Clay.
37-39 Stanmore Rd, Enmore; 146 Victoria Rd, Marrickville; 143 Renwick St, Marrickville
claysydney.com
HOT TO POT
Best places to buy ceramics locally
Elph Ceramics
Go for Eloise Rankine’s divine handmade pieces and plenty of contemporary options.
12 William St, Paddington
elphceramics.com
Mud Australia
For exquisite and delicate handmade ceramics in lollipop shades.
Shop 4, 1 Kiaora Ln, Double Bay
mudaustralia.com
Planet Furniture
Find an attractive range of Japanese and Japanese-inspired ceramics and earthenware in this homewares emporium.
114 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills
planetfurniture.com.au
Porch Ceramics
Popular cafe Porch & Parlour has created its own pottery range, available in the cafe and online.
17-18/110 Ramsgate Ave, North Bondi
porchceramics.com
Made of Australia
Based on the Gold Coast, this elegant brand has an exceptional line of twice-fired stoneware ceramics with a beautiful feel. Order online.
madeofaustralia.com