Paanai
Tried turning a pile of mud into sculptures for 12 days. Here’s the evidence, folks.
Clay & Pottery
Traditional Art & Craft
OVERVIEW
‘Paanai’ (the Tamil word for pot) provided a foundational clay workshop where I mastered basic shaping techniques. Through guided experimentation, I explored expressive forms and gained a deep understanding of material, texture, and structure. Working with both white and brown clay, I learned the value of patience in refining every piece.
INDUSTRY
Handcrafts
TEAM
Me
DURATION
2 Weeks, 2024
MY ROLE
Potter
A 12 day workshop exploring different types of clay through hands on making. The early days focused on understanding the potter’s wheel and finding the right balance between water and clay, which gradually became intuitive. Work began from scratch with brown clay, breaking down and recycling raw material.
The process started with hand building using no tools to understand how the clay moves, holds form, and responds to touch. Once that connection was established, the work moved to the wheel. Later, white clay was introduced to create a few creative pieces. Around 15 unique forms were made, each one different. None of the pieces were fired, but the focus remained on process, material understanding, and learning through making.
01
PITCHER
A LUMP OF BROWN CLAY PINCHED BY HAND INTO A SIMPLE POURER.
02
PLANTER
A QUIRKY HAND BUILT CLAY PLANTER WITH A PLAYFUL MONSTER CHARACTER ADDED TO IT.
03
LAMP HOLDER
BUILT BY STACKING HANDMADE CIRCULAR CLAY COILS AND JOINING THEM WITH WET CLAY TO FORM THE SHAPE.
04
JAR
A FANTASY HOUSE SHAPED JAR INSPIRED FROM SMURFS.
05
JAR
A FANTASY HOUSE SHAPED JAR INSPIRED FROM SMURFS. THE LID OF THE JAR CAN BE CLOSED EITHER WAYS.
06
WHITE CLAY MOLDS
EXPLORING NEW TEXTURES, FORM AND CONSISTENCIES, AND REMOVING THE FORM WITHOUT BREAKING FROM THE POTTER’S WHEEL.
07
HOME DECOR
SMALL BOWL, FLOWER VASE, AND SHALLOW PLATE.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Every step of the process was documented on video using a personal camera, starting from the very first lump of raw clay to the finished pieces. This extra effort was taken voluntarily; it wasn't required, but it felt worthwhile to capture every moment of those 12 days.
Watching it back feels like a quick walkthrough of everything: the mess, the learning curve, the small wins, and the work that slowly came together day by day. Each step of the process was video-documented through a personal camera, from the very first lump of raw clay to the final pieces. An extra effort taken independently, not something that was required, but it felt worth capturing every moment of those 12 days.