About Our Pottery & Ceramics Classes
Welcome to Ayni Pottery Studio in Auckland.
At Ayni, pottery and ceramics classes are centred on process, presence, and a long-term relationship with clay. Whether you’re drawn to functional ware, sculptural forms, or decorative exploration, the studio supports a wide range of approaches and intentions.
Working with clay invites focus, patience, and attentiveness. Through making, ideas take form gradually — shaped by the hands, time, repetition, and care. Classes are structured to support both skill development and open exploration, allowing each participant to work at their own pace.
The studio is equipped with seven Leach kick wheels, valued for their smooth momentum and meditative rhythm, powered entirely by the maker’s movement. A Shimpo electric wheel is also available, offering additional ways of working and supporting different needs and approaches.
Hand-building at Ayni explores techniques such as pinching, slab-building, coiling, texturing, and surface development. You’re welcome to arrive with your own ideas, or to allow projects to emerge through guided experimentation, especially in the early sessions.
At Ayni, making is approached as both a practical and reflective practice — one that supports grounding, focus, and creative confidence over time.
Ayni Pottery & Ceramics — where we embrace authenticity.
The Studio Experience
Hands-on experience with clay shaping techniques
Guidance in wheel-throwing and hand-building
Exploration of form, function, and surface at your own pace
Small-group learning with individual guidance
Access to a well-equipped pottery studio
Tools and clay available for purchase for term classes
Weekly sessions supporting skill development and project completion
A calm, focused environment supportive of sustained practice
Option 1: Regular Pottery & Ceramics Classes
Weekly hand-building and wheel-throwing classes for those seeking continuity and depth in their practice.
Each term runs for ten weeks, with firings scheduled in five-week blocks aligned with school terms. Participants may commit to a single term or continue across multiple terms.
Clay is a long teacher. For those wishing to build confidence and fluency, ongoing practice over time is encouraged. These classes are best suited to people willing to engage consistently with the process.
If you feel the call to connect with the earth and work with clay in an ongoing way, current availability for term classes can be found here.
Option 2: Pottery & Ceramics Workshops
One-off workshops are offered throughout the year for those unable to commit to regular classes or wishing to explore a specific project or theme.
Workshops may focus on functional forms, sculptural work, or seasonal explorations. Special edition workshops are also offered throughout the year — including moments such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day — while maintaining the same care and attention to process.
Wheel-throwing workshops are offered twice a month and provide a focused introduction to working on the wheel without committing to a full term. These sessions cover the fundamentals of centring and forming, with guidance throughout and space to learn through repetition rather than fixed outcomes. Workshops take place on the studio’s Leach kick wheels and Shimpo electric wheel, with clay, tools, and firing of one small piece per participant included. No prior experience is required.
Sip n’ Clay is a monthly Friday evening session (6:00–8:30 pm) that brings together clay, presence, and community in a relaxed, social setting. The evening invites participants to slow down, connect with the material, and explore making at an easy, intuitive pace. Blue Lotus tea is served as part of the experience, traditionally associated with relaxation and presence, and guests are welcome to bring their own drinks if they wish.
Please check the schedule here.
Option 3: Book a Private Pottery Function
Private pottery sessions are available for small groups seeking a shared creative experience.
Suitable for team days, celebrations, family gatherings, or intentional group activities. Sessions can be tailored to suit the occasion.
Hand-building: up to 14 participants
Wheel-throwing: up to 8 participants
For enquiries, please email hola@ayni.co.nz.
Private function enquiries are responded to during weekday admin hours.
About the Firing Process
All work at Ayni is fired in a gas kiln, where actual flame comes into contact with each piece, leaving subtle and sometimes unpredictable surface markings. This process completes the making cycle, transforming clay through heat and time and giving each piece its final strength and character.
Pieces are typically ready for collection 6–8 weeks after they are made, depending on drying time, kiln scheduling, and firing cycles.
