“Art for everyday use” is how we define our ceramic studio -Curators of Clay which delves in producing a range of tableware and serve ware including teapots, cups, plates, tumblers, bottles, jars and jugs.
Bowl in butterscotch blue
After years of working in advertising and media, we favoured clay over our conventional jobs and decided to set up Curators of Clay as a one-of-its-kind ceramic studio with a focus on functional art.
We strongly believe in curating art pieces which follow the function principle; therefore, every piece of our work is crafted for daily use.
Handcrafted wheel thrown teapot in our signature amber glaze with highlights in blue
We adhere to time honoured process of making ceramics. Every piece is handcrafted by us from scratch. From making the clay to preparing the glaze, we ensure that all the ingredients are completely food safe, oven friendly and dishwasher compliant.
Right from the process of making to firing in the kiln is done at our studio in Bhugaon Village near Pune. There is inherent beauty in handcrafted products that a factory made object can’t match.
Straight line jug
The artisan leaves her/his imprint on the work she/he creates. It’s their way of communicating with the user. When you use a hand crafted mug, it is a communion between you and the artist.
A tactile experience where you can run over the undulating throwing lines deliberately left by the maker to give you a feel of the process or observe a line accentuated by change in brush pressure, or discover faint finger prints in the glaze. And when you take a look at our products, you appreciate the sheer beauty of handcrafted.
Handcrafted wheel thrown corked bottle with tumblers and trivet
Being both designers and makers of the product, our work is an extension of our personality which makes them look unique. As curators we complement each other in terms of our work and individuality.
Though our body of past work is so different, with us being media professionals earlier, today, we share a similar fascination for the Japanese way of interpreting clay. Our work draws inspiration from Japanese ceramics which are highly refined, raw and organic in look and feel.
Handcrafted wheel thrown tea bowls with etched bamboo motifs
We also put in a lot of thought in designing our products. For instance, the handle of our mug is designed in such a way that it does not burn your knuckles or slip in any way. Even the teapot and pitchers help you pour liquids of varying viscosity without dripping.
Some of our designs are inspired by Indian food habits and that’s why you will find plates inspired by thalis, or bowls inspired by handis. Our designs are modern interpretation of original forms – we like to stick to simple, straight forms with very little adornment.
Handcrafted wheel thrown teapot with handmade cane handle, cups and trivet
The location of our studio on the outskirts of Pune also inspires our myriad portfolio as the element of nature silently seep into our work – for example our glazes Sahyadri Green and Monsoon Blue capture the many hues of mountains and monsoon and the bamboo plants on our studio grounds make for pretty motifs which reflect in our products.
Our work policy is simple – we want our products to be used, cherished and above all, loved every day. Over the years, we have served several tableware products to a number of high-end restaurants in Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Bangalore and currently we are also in talks with a restaurant in the Middle East to create tableware for them.
Text By Bhairavi Naik & Rohit Kulkarni
Contact
Email: rohit@curatorsofclay.com
bhairavi@curatorsofclay.com
Web: www.curatorsofclay.com
