Waad Hussain

RIYADH: Terracotta Studio, a women-only pottery space, is shaping more than just clay. Run by Ghada Al-Malki, the venue offers women the chance to explore pottery as both an art form and a therapeutic escape.

Al-Malki said her experience studying psychology helped her to see the benefits of handicrafts, which she described as “a form of therapy.”

Her interest in crafting began with beading but later expanded to pottery.

“When I worked with beads, I felt: Wow! So I thought I must learn another craft. I learned pottery and once I did I opened the studio.”

I thought people needed to experience what I went through and see how pottery helps release negative energy, which is what we need in today’s world.

Ghada Al-Malki

It was that feeling of excitement and exhilaration that she wanted to share.

“I thought people needed to experience what I went through and see how pottery helps release negative energy, which is what we need in today’s world.”

Located in the Al-Yasmin district of northern Riyadh, Terracotta Studio offers a variety of pottery workshops for all abilities.

“The studio is exclusively for women, so they can feel comfortable,” Al-Malki said.

“We have pottery workshops where I teach them how to make cups, plates, or paint the pieces we’ve made. Painting itself is an art.”

She said the response she had received was beyond her expectations.

“Honestly, I was really surprised … The turnout has been tremendous, which shows that we really need a space to release our energy.”

She said some of her customers had even said they had been sleeping better after attending her classes.

“The most satisfying part of running this studio is when a customer leaves happy and comes back to tell me: ‘Ghada, thank you, I really enjoyed it.’

“Sometimes people contact me later and say: ‘Ghada, I truly felt like I had the best sleep in a long time; I feel much more relaxed.’ That feeling wipes away all the exhaustion at the end of the day.”

While the studio might be great at helping her clients to unwind, running it was not always easy, Al-Malki said.

“The biggest issue we face is real estate. Rental prices are high and raw materials are not available in Saudi Arabia, so they are expensive for us. But, thank God, we try to manage the challenges as much as we can.”

Al-Malki said she hoped to expand the studio’s offerings in the future.

“I aim to create spaces specifically for children. You cannot imagine how much children need this craft and playing with clay.”

As well as its regular workshops, Terracotta Studio hosts exhibitions where students can display their work.