Welcome to Ayni

A space where we embrace authenticity, a space to be.
Here, clay, community, and spirit meet.

Since March 2024, Ayni has offered a sanctuary for busy minds to slow down, ground, and reconnect. As you step into the studio, a quieter rhythm emerges: the gentle hum of wheels, the scent of earth, the presence of works-in-progress — inviting you to pause, breathe, and create.

The studio is home to seven Leach kick-wheels, a Shimpo electric wheel, and a generous area for hand-building. Each piece follows a natural journey — shaped by hand, dried by air, and fired in a gas kiln where actual flame moves through the kiln and touches each piece, bringing depth, variation, and character to the surface.

Care for the earth is woven into daily practice. Materials are repurposed where possible, water use is minimised, and unnecessary resource consumption is consciously reduced. The kick-wheels themselves are powered by human energy, offering an organic, embodied way of working with clay, in rhythm with nature rather than against it.

Why Ayni Pottery & Ceramics?

Ayni is an Andean principle of reciprocal support — giving and receiving in balance. It reflects the interdependent flow of energy between humans, nature, and the universe. Just as trees and humans exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, Ayni reminds us that care, cooperation, and reciprocity sustain life.

At Ayni, this philosophy extends into making. Each creation becomes part of a ritual of giving, offering thoughtful, long-lasting functional art — from the maker’s hands into everyday life.

The studio hosts:

Term classes and one-off workshops

Private functions for small groups and gatherings

Opportunities to commission original work

A quiet, contemplative space for reflection, learning, and creative exploration

 

 

Meet Erica

Founder of Ayni Pottery & Ceramics

Hello, I’m Erica — the dreamer and creator behind Ayni.

I have been in contact with clay since I was seven years old, developing an intuitive understanding of its texture, flow, and rhythm. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1985, my creative path has always been guided by curiosity — for colour, pattern, texture, form, and the ways material carries meaning.

Since making Aotearoa New Zealand home in 2013, I have continued to deepen my practice through hands-on learning and immersion. This includes a four-month internship at Dryburgh’s Studio in 2022, followed by several residencies, including Driving Creek Railways and Potteries (May 2023 and February 2024) and a seven-week residency at Auckland Studio Potters. Each experience has shaped both my technical understanding and my relationship with clay as a living material.

From the moment Ayni on Karangahape Road was opened, our family has moved to the city, and the studio has become a place where I explore the dialogue between material, inspiration, and intention, following wherever creativity calls me. Clay is my chosen medium here — allowing the creation of vessels for daily rituals, light and sound, as well as sculptural forms that carry personality and quiet narrative. My practice is not confined to these expressions; each piece belongs to a broader, multidisciplinary journey, where art flows through me in many forms.

My work is inspired by nature, the realm of dreams, and human connection, inviting reflection, presence, and engagement with the senses. My long-term dream is to bring living and studio space together, sourcing clay directly from the land and creating within a continuous, sacred cycle. Until then, I value my contribution to city life — offering a refuge where people can return to the earth through clay.