ayni pottery on karangahape road

From March 2024 to September 2026, I ran an intimate ceramics studio and gallery across from Myers Park in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

I designed the space to make the most of every corner, creating a functional, beautiful and peaceful oasis in the city. It hosted weekly pottery classes, one-off workshops and private gatherings, with a particular focus on hand-building and throwing on traditional Leach kick wheels. It could welcome up to 14 people for hand-building and eight at the wheels.

Alongside teaching, it was my own working studio and a gallery for my ceramic work. I also opened the space to visiting artists, independent workshop facilitators and other creative practices.

But perhaps the most beautiful part of this experiment was what happened between the making. People from different walks of life came together, got to know one another and, over time, became something of a tribe.

During the first year's open studio, visitors made bells for the entrance. At the end of 2025, the community gathered for a potluck, and more bells were made together. Small moments that became part of the space's story.

In the final five weeks before closing, food and deep conversations once again brought people together. A reminder that what had grown there was never just about clay, but also about the connections made along the way.

I'm grateful for everything that took shape within those walls.