If you have been following me for the past two years, you know that life has been full of unexpected turns. Through all of it, the things that kept me grounded were ceramics and, to be fully honest, an incredibly supportive husband.
I discovered pottery about two and a half years ago, thanks to a lovely neighbor who casually mentioned that I could try ceramics for free at our neighborhood studio. At the time, I was living in the Boston area, and that studio happened to be an incredible place to learn pottery. Being neighbors with Harvard certainly had its advantages.
The ceramics studio itself was enormous, filled with tools and equipment that any potter could dream of. I miss that space every day. But more than the size or the resources, it was the people who made it special. Being surrounded by talented artists and experienced ceramicists was deeply inspiring. My first teacher was the wonderful Steve Murphy, who trained in Japan and immediately passed on his love of clay and slip. From the very first class, I was hooked. I also quickly learned that ceramics is a beautiful, but expensive, craft to fall in love with.
The first year of learning pottery was frustrating. Ceramics is not a craft you master quickly, and I had far more ideas than skills. I became obsessed and wanted to spend every possible moment in the studio, playing with clay and learning through trial and error. But, as life often does, things took an unexpected turn.
About a year into my ceramics journey, I had to stop working due to visa issues in the US. Suddenly, pottery became the only thing I could do. Not being allowed to work while waiting for paperwork was not easy, financially or mentally. Still, the one gift I was given was time. During that time, my skills as a potter improved dramatically, and along with them, a quiet dream began to take shape. The dream of one day starting my own handmade ceramics brand.
That was when Gãmbi began to bloom in my mind.
Around the same time, my small family started planning a move to Canada. With such a big life change ahead, including a cross-country drive from Boston to Vancouver, the dream of launching a ceramics business had to remain on hold. It stayed close, always present, but impossible to act on for a long while.
And now, here we are.
Today, I can finally say that Gãmbi Studios is officially open for business. Gãmbi is a small ceramics studio focused on joyful, handmade, wheel-thrown functional pieces for everyday life. I hope you can feel the care and intention that goes into each piece, and into building this colorful, thoughtful brand.
I will be sharing the story behind the name Gãmbi in a future post. It deserves its own space.
Thank you for being here. I hope you find something you love.
