Quirk in the kiln

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Potter's Place by Shalan Dere

You can't discuss pottery and not mention Shalan. "I learnt to throw on the wheel in 1993 and like magic, was overtaken by the medium," says Dere who started the garden studio, out in the open, under a mango tree in 1995. While her work - that ranges from tableware and sculptures to murals - isn't exactly quirky, it is certainly different and has a fun element to it. The courses include sessions on serious learning as well as fun time with clay.

Workshops begin at: Rs 2,000
At: Sumati Building, Lt. Dilip Gupte Road,Mahim.
www.pottersplace.co.in

Studio Pottery by Devyani Smith

This garage-like one-person studio has Devyani as its maker, designer, artist, mason, alchemist, owner and worker. Known for functional pottery combining the sculptural and wheel thrown methods, a lot of her work - sold from a corner in the studio called the cupboard shop - has simple forms with muted glaze decorations. She usually teaches on the weekends to a small batch of serious learners.

Courses begin at: Rs 10,000
At: Road No. 17, Off MG Road, Opp. Sundaresh CHS, Goregaon West, Instagram: @devyani_potteryandotherthings

The Pottery Lab by Rekha Goyal

This community pottery studio is a great space to access arts and crafts; learn, practice and engage. "We are very serious about what we do but also ensure that the process and the time here is therapeutic and fun," says Goyal. There are artiste collaborations, pottery classes and workshops too. You'll also finding advanced level students using the space to practice and develop their work.

Workshops start at: Rs 2,500
At: Temperance, 76, Nargis Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West
www.rekhagoyal.com

YellowSpiders Pottery by Neha Ramaiya

It was started in 2009 in an apartment room with the idea of having people look at pottery and ceramics as a profession. "We don't hurry to teach - each artist has a different learning pace; the timings are also flexible," says Ramaiya, whose works sees plenty of experiments with mixing process and materials.

Courses begin at: Rs 7,500
At: 701, Sanjar Enclave, SV Road, Kandivali West, Instagram: #YellowSpidersPottery

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