“Thud!” goes the ball of clay as I throw it onto the pottery wheel between my legs to make it stick. 

“Let me show you how to centre the clay first,” said Mai, the artist who owns the studio. The Mai in Maimojie Studio. 

She spoke with the forbearance beyond her years.

My friend and I watched and listened to her intently. 

When it was our turn, I used the foot pedal on my right to get the motorised pottery wheel to the recommended speed. 

As instructed, I used the palm of one hand to cup the clay and the bottom of the open palm of the other hand to position and attach the clay firmly onto the wheel. Instead, it glided freely while the wheel spun, and I felt a little embarrassed. 

Mai opened her studio in October 2024. After studying fine arts, she taught art classes in a mall. There, she learned how to deal with unskilled students like me and perhaps developed her patience as well. 

With her patience, Mai guided us through the process of opening up the clay, where we kneaded the air bubbles out, and shaping it into bowls, a simple shape that my friend and I chose to do. It was our first time throwing clay.

When we were done shaping our “vessels”, she transferred the pieces onto a board and gave us another ball of clay.

Although she studied art, Mai said she only got into working with clay after learning that her grandparents did as well. She picked up the skills on her own while working at her previous job.

Opening her own studio was a leap of faith, something she had to do for her well-being. The pottery wheels and the kiln were not easy to acquire, and they weren’t cheap either, but Mai had a lot of patience.

My friends and I decided to make plates as our second object. I got better at it, but not by much. It was not as easy as I thought, but the experience was fun and exciting. 

Once we were done shaping our plates, the clay was left to sit for a bit before painting. The pieces were then let to dry in the sun and put in the kiln. The process takes about a month. Mai said the clay has to be dry before being put into the kiln to prevent it from developing cracks or blowing up. 

“Throw and paint” is just one of the many classes Mai offers at her studio. Beginners can try making ceramic magnets, more adventurous people can try making objects using clay without a pottery wheel, and those looking for something cuter can try making character cups.

Mai also holds seasonal workshops at her studio and collaborates with companies for events.

If this sounds interesting to you, check out the Maimojie Studio page at https://www.maimojiestudio.com/