I ALMOST miss the studio. There's no sign of the usual bustle of business in full swing in this quiet part of Bandar Sungai Long, Kajang. It's a Saturday and many of the shops within the vicinity are closed. Only a coffee shop and a convenience store seem to see some kind of action.
Parking is aplenty compared to the much more congested neighbouring township. I heave a sigh of relief at this stroke of luck. Having locked my car securely, I make my way to the doorsteps of 22 Craft Studio for my appointment, which has been scheduled for 6pm when pottery classes for the day are done.
A diminutive young woman greets me when I enter. "Am I interviewing you?" I couldn't help blurting out. My question is met with a warm chuckle and a shake of the head. No, she replies before uttering something in Chinese, presumably a name. I duly discover later that she's the sister of the proprietor whom I've come to see.
Once inside, I place my bags and notebook on a wooden table by the front section of this quaint shop lot, which has some exquisite pottery pieces on it. Furtively eyeing my surroundings, I note that a pottery class had just ended and clearing up work is being carried out.
"Hi, where would you like to have the interview?" A voice, low and pleasant, slices through my wandering thoughts and I turn. It's the owner of 22 Craft Studio, the girl whose face I'd seen popping up on my social media.
MEETING THE POTTER
Leading me to a table at the corner of the room where we can have our chat uninterrupted, I find myself scrutinising Tan Yi Hua, who, with her bucket hat and clay-stained apron, looks just like any ordinary pottery teacher.
Thanks to Covid, her mask is on and I can just about make out her alert and piercing eyes hidden behind her glasses looking curiously at me. Her voice is sharp, crisp and clear. There's a whiff of authority about her.
"Do you want to see my equipment? I'm normally interviewed about the pottery we make and our kiln," she remarks, diving in straight with her own question, much to my surprise. I smile and tell her that before I get to that, I'd like to get acquainted with her first.
Sheepishly, I confide to her that I'd been having a tough time figuring out who the real owner of the studio was. Reaching for my phone, I scroll through the Instagram account for 22 Craft Studio as she leans in to have a closer look.
I show her the photo of a young woman with long black hair, sipping a drink from a handmade clay mug. "That's my friend!" she says, chuckling in mirth before offering to show me some posts.
There appears to be someone resembling her in some of them but the person is not facing the camera directly. Mystery solved but now my curiosity is piqued.
"Did you learn art in school?" I ask, thinking that she might have done so during her time at SJKC Jalan Davidson and Chong Hwa Independent High School. Haltingly, Tan, a science stream student, shares: "I did but I didn't do too well. For one, art was taken as an extra subject. Secondly, it was taught in Malay and I'm not fluent in that language."
Continuing, she confides that when she was younger, she wanted to delve into art but her parents said no. "When I was in Form Five, I discovered pottery while attending a summer camp organised by the New Era University in Kajang. That was when my interest in pottery started. But my parents thought it was a just a hobby and told me to focus on SPM," she adds softly.
Ever the obedient daughter, that's what she did. Tan eventually ended up in Monash University pursuing a science degree. "It was during my time at the university that I found out about pottery classes being offered by studios in the Kajang area. And once I started, I became addicted. Every weekend, I was practically dreaming about pottery."
Her parents, however, were not keen on her new pursuit. "Did they want you to become a lawyer, doctor, accountant or engineer?" I couldn't help asking, my interest piqued. She shakes her head, before replying: "Any normal daily job would have met their expectations."
Talking about her first job post-university as a buyer for a confectionery in the city centre, her voice lowers. "It wasn't really my thing," she confesses, adding that she only did it for a year. Pottery remained her passion. "Then I was invited to start this pottery business. I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by," she says, simply.
Before she opened the studio, she travelled to China in October 2018 and spent a month in Jingdezhen, also known as the Porcelain Capital and renowned for producing quality ceramics.
By the time she returned in 2018, Tan was ready to open 22 Craft Studio.
EVERYTHING POTTERY
Sheepishly, I confide to Tan that I don't know much about pottery. She chuckles good-naturedly before inviting me to attend her classes. Turning to some brochures about her studio, she hands me one and I note that it also carries information about the process of pottery making.
Patiently, Tan explains the steps involved in a nutshell — beginning from working the wet raw clay, shaping the clay through, trimming and smoothening, firing up the pottery and adding a protective layer, right up to the final steps of glazing and refiring the clay. "So technical!" she exclaims with mirth.
I duly learn that not all pottery wares have smooth textures. "Rough textures reconnect you with nature. It reminds you that not everything is perfectly smooth. Just like life," explains Tan with a knowing nod.
Excitedly, she continues: "We've done work with a lot of rough surfaces. We had an [art] exhibition in December 2020, during the time when the lockdown was temporarily lifted. The clay represented the world."
Continuing, she elaborates: "Some flatter surfaces represented housing. The words were made of clay and we moulded clay people to show how people live. We wanted people to enjoy the different textures, using different types of clay."
In her element, she reels off: "For example, purple clay is used to make a China teapot." She detects my blank expression as I try desperately to recall seeing a purple teapot in my lifetime.
"You're not a tea person? It's okay," says Tan, chuckling. "Tea lovers usually look for purple clay teapots, made from rare earth. We tend to mix purple clay with other types of clay to shape it into different wares. But tea lovers think it's such a waste of purple clay."
"What is the most difficult piece you've made?" I ask the talented potter as I look around her showroom.
"Di-ffi-cult," she articulates the word syllable by syllable before turning her chair and surveying all the pottery ware on display.
She gets up and beckons me to follow her to her storeroom. Enthusiastically, she explains: "The newer ones are more difficult because you're trying out new things. See the irregular weird shapes? They're experimental. Some clay are bendable, some aren't. You have to really try the clay out to know its characteristics. Then only will you know how to use it later."
Asked what gives her the greatest satisfaction, she turns the question back to me: "What do YOU think it is?"
Sheepishly, I reply: "You said you like creating things?" Suddenly I feel like a student who has been cornered by a teacher for an answer I'm unsure of.
A pause and then Tan nods slowly. "True. Creating is the fun part. You feel like you're God, making something from nothing. That's the most satisfying part. When you're throwing, you need to focus."
Throwing? On the wheel? I mouth in confusion.
She nods before replying: "Turn, turn, turn. Like in the Ghost movie!"
I burst out laughing. The iconic steamy scene of Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze shaping wet clay in the movie Ghost springs to mind. "When you throw the clay on the wheel, you really need to focus. It's like you're living in this bubble — just you and the clay."
Continuing, she adds: "Whatever is happening outside doesn't affect you. You're focusing on yourself, your inner feelings and thoughts, rather than what's outside. The feeling is so intense. That's the fun part. It's like your "me" time."
LABOUR OF LOVE
Thoughtfully, Tan admits that mood does influence the outcome of her work. "Usually that happens when I'm randomly creating vases," she shares, adding: "There may be a day when you're not in the mood, so you tend to rush stuff. Then problems will crop up in your work. You can either stop and cool down before returning to it, or go with the flow and see what happens. The outcome may be interesting. I always enjoy seeing what comes out of each session."
Does she have plans to expand her studio?" I ask, and she replies with a resolute shake of her head. Replies Tan: "We used to have more teachers but it's hard finding them. So, I do all the teaching now. We may have interns coming in but we'll see. At all times, I actually need a minimum of three teachers."
We make a move towards the electric kiln located at the back of the studio. I look around the oven space. A shelf containing pottery in varying stages of completion stand opposite the kiln. I point out how neatly they're arranged.
"My business partner really hates clutter. So, after every class, we clean up," replies Tan. That explains the near-pristine condition of her studio. It becomes clear that this place is truly a labour of love.
As we near the end of our chat, Tan turns to me and concludes softly: "When I was younger, I couldn't pursue art as I wished but I still continued to do it on the side. Then unexpectedly, I was offered the opportunity to open this studio and dedicate my time to pottery. So, my motto is do what you can with what you have, wherever you are."
22 Craft Studio, 19, Jalan SL 1/12, Bandar Sungai Long, Kajang.
