At Dharamkot Studio, we are always touched by the diversity of journeys our students bring with them—from career sabbaticals and life transitions to creative exploration and personal healing. Every batch of our 5-week beginner’s course carries its own rhythm, shaped by the stories, discoveries, and new found love for arts. Here’s what some of our latest students had to say:
Sahitya, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh
“An experience that provided a distinct and engaging contrast to my professional pursuits.”
My name is Sahitya, and I am based in Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, where I am professionally engaged in aqua farming. My work involves a direct interaction with the soil, within an agricultural context rather than an artistic one. Recently, I undertook a five-week pottery course from Dharamkot Studio, an experience that provided a distinct and engaging contrast to my professional pursuits. The entire process was extremely fulfilling and felt a great sense of joy. I found particular satisfaction in the techniques of wheel throwing, and the exploration of glazing proved to be a surprisingly profound and enjoyable process. This experience has cultivated a newfound appreciation for the creative potential inherent in working with clay, and I’m looking forward to exploring it more.
Karishma Thadani, London
“The instructors and how the course is structured really inspired me to get out of my comfort zone of throwing on the wheel, and try out new hand building techniques.”
When I decided to take a six month sabbatical from work, I knew I wanted to dedicate time to building up my skill in pottery and once I’d stumbled across the Dharamkot studio on Instagram, it felt like a calling.
Having now completed the 5 week beginner’s course, I know it’s been the best decision I ever made for myself and has been everything I dreamed of and so much more.
The instructors and how the course is structured really inspired me to get out of my comfort zone of throwing on the wheel, and try out new hand building techniques like coiling and sculpting larger pieces that I wouldn’t have ever thought to try. I definitely levelled up in my throwing skills but it’s the hand building techniques that gave me the most joy in just allowing myself to play with clay all day long. It’s opened up a whole new world of clay for me and I hope to be able to experiment with these techniques more once I return to London to see where the art takes me.
Gentle Geometry
My first ever ceramic collection was slowly built around the concept of exploring the combination of geometric shapes in a softer, more gentle way. This involved exploring a mix of angular, clean lines, with slightly more rounded forms, and what better way to really depict ‘gentle geometry’ than the female form.
Meet Barbara, Bonita, and Bijli – each with a mysterious story to tell, a mind of her own, and unafraid to take up her space in the world. As a woman, body positivity is a constant battle and one that’s harder to enforce when it’s your own body vs. someone you love. Bringing these ladies to life, with all their beautiful curves has been a cathartic experience in so many ways I didn’t expect and I hope it inspires others to feel the same.P.S. Feel free to pick them up, these ladies are as mighty as can be!
Looking for a way to escape the corporate rat race in London, pottery found me at a time in my life when I needed it most. Having taken a workshop on a whim about a year ago, I realised that it was the first time I felt childlike joy at trying something new and I knew I would simply never be the same.
Veronika Halasova, Slovakia
“Ceramics is the perfect metaphor for life: much is outside your control, things will break, and the process itself teaches you more than the outcome ever could.”
My Clay adventure in the Himalayas
I came to the 5-week pottery course with a couple of months of pottery experience under my belt. What I discovered in this magical Himalayan forest was both humbling and transformative. My wheel throwing skills dramatically improved, but I was quickly humbled by all the things that can go wrong in the process—from the first touch of clay to the nerve-wracking kiln opening. A lot of my pieces that I’d poured my heart into came out damaged (or never even made it into the kiln), and yep there were some tears in the process. But through this, I learned that ceramics is the perfect metaphor for life: much is outside your control, things will break, and the process itself teaches you more than the outcome ever could.
This course has allowed to experiment and observe my approach to pottery. As a product designer, I’m wired to solve users’ problems through digital experiences. I noticed this same mindset naturally flowing into my ceramic work—I gravitate toward functional pottery that solves everyday problems. Whether it’s a ramen bowl with an integrated rest for your favourite chopsticks or a butter dish that eliminates the daily wait for butter to soften, I find myself applying design thinking to clay.
This discovery felt like finding my artistic voice. My mission going forward is clear: creating beautiful, functional pieces that are both problem-solving tools and accessible art. I believe pottery shouldn’t be something kept behind glass or reserved for special occasions—it should be beautiful art that people interact with daily, enhancing small moments in their lives.
Maya
“The time, care and precision required to make something as simple as a cup or a bowl is something I feel I have fallen in love with.”
Prior to my time at Dharamkot Studio, my experiences with clay had been limited to some weekly classes with friends. It has been so special to have so much time to commit to learning about pottery, and to explore the different processes involved. The time, care and precision required to make something as simple as a cup or a bowl is something I feel I have fallen in love with, and can see myself enjoying for a long time. I hope to continue learning and developing my own unique practice.
My exploration of different techniques was carefully guided and aided by our lovely tutors, who were encouraging, honest, and knowledgeable. However, fairly early into our time in the studio I was drawn to carving and have chosen to make it a big part of my practice. You will see that most of my pieces are connected by my use of lines and precise carvings. I have thoroughly enjoyed creating and working on patterns, and feel it has unified my collection!
Use of colour is something I explored and experimented with during this time as well; you will see lots of greens, blacks and darker tones, with sporadic pops of vibrant colours. I enjoy contrast, and playing with different colour combinations brought me great joy!
My time at Dharamkot studio has been inspiring and exciting. I’m very grateful to have had this opportunity and hope to continue learning.
Kanupriya Padwar
“This course gave me the space to play—to let go of precision and see where curiosity could lead.”
My name is Kanupriya Padwar. I’m an Interior Designer with a background in UI/UX design, currently based in Delhi. Over time, my creative practice has naturally gravitated toward ceramics—particularly hand-pinched forms where I actually love the little imperfections that show up.
I completed a five-week pottery course at a studio in Dharamkot, where I was mentored through a range of techniques that helped expand my approach to ceramics. I worked on the wheel, explored new forms and shapes, and had fun experimenting with glazing and black firing.
This course gave me the space to play—to let go of precision and see where curiosity could lead. Now, I’m looking forward to working more with clay, experimenting and seeing where my style goes next.
