Amin Abbas

ABU DHABI: A ‘Studio Ghibli’ themed pottery workshop was held at Studio Clay in Abu Dhabi, where participants were creating their own creations of their favorite ‘Studio Ghibli’ characters.

Noura Al Dhaheri, an Emirati clay artist and founder of Studio Clay told Arab News Japan that the workshop was hosted after huge demand from the previous workshop last year.

“The Studio Ghibli theme was the most attracted workshop as it has created its own community where of pottery beginners for the love of this beautiful theme. The community needed a place where they can show their creativity,” she said.

“It’s just started with me just being very creative as personally love Studio Ghibli works especially ‘Spirited Away’ as it was the first Studio Ghibli’s movie that I watched and I was having fun in the studio creating the sculpture of ‘no face’ character from the movie and I just simply took a picture and put it on Instagram and asked people if they like a Studio Ghibli theme workshop and the response was massive were my mobile was about the explode from the calls and messages that I have received as people were very excited about it and we had to do a waitlist because of the huge demand and we had over 80 people before it’s announcement and it really inspired me to create more pieces and create the decorations and that’s where I went from there.”

“I create Studio Ghibli theme pieces for inspiration to people and they get inspired from those pieces to make their own creation and have an experience to learn from it where we make a special decoration and music as well showcasing the movie through projectors and we transform the studio into the bathhouse area from ‘Spirited Away’ movie where it held only at evening time as we want to have a sleepy night vibe at the workshops.”

“We had this workshop multiple times since last year due to huge demand and it’s 3 hours workshop where participants can create one or two pieces and the best pieces can win wonderful prizes,” she added.

About the establishment of Studio Clay, Al Dhaheri said: “Studio Clay started at the basement of my home during Covid – 19 pandemic, it was a passion project that started at that time because I’m an artist and studied fine art painting then my master’s degree was art business. So, during the end of my education I was more into galleries, museums, art fairs and more about the business side of art that when the Covid – 19 pandemic happened, I couldn’t find a job and I was forced to become an artist again and I opened my home studio again during my early years and it brought me back to use my hands and practicing which I was think it was a beautiful thing.”

“The concept of our studio developed during the pandemic. Covid adjusted our priorities and daily routines in a major way, it gave us a minute to pause and reflect on what we really want to spend our days doing, hence our love for pottery had a chance to bloom. With a curated functional design, we wanted the studio to be an escape from the hustle & bustle of daily life, a place where you can really relax & improve or learn a new skill”.

“The studio was so supposed to be a production when it was started where I used to make cups from online pictures and I was focusing on F&P industry like restaurants and cafes. Slowly after opening my space in 2021 after the Covid – 19 restrictions went down; I started realizing the importance of teaching and how people were craving to learn pottery and to see how things are being made. We started doing themes shortly after opening Studio Clay which people loved where I realized that we are selling experiences more than cups and this is now what we are famous for, every month we do a new theme and it attracts people depends on the season where we do strawberry and sea shells themes in summer,” she added.

About the challenges that faced Studio Clay, Al Dhaheri said: “I think when you are open something with a new concept you will always face challenges because you are unique in the market, I focus on being a beginner friendly studio where all our workshops are beginner friendly and very guided. So now we are now focusing on education even though we still do production I feel it’s more valuable way to create community.”

Regarding Studio Clay upcoming activities, Al Dhaheri said: “I’m working on Halloween theme next month where are do pumpkins painting, trick and treat and more Halloween activities. For November, we will do a circus theme, which is going to be a brand-new theme and that’s what I’m acutely working on these days.”