Hues of Pottery: Marrying Artistry and Utility with Sustainability at PotteryDen

Pottery, one of the earliest human creations, is a creative art form that I believe is intimately connected with daily life. To me, there is a magical and romantic quality to pottery, and it represents a comprehensive intersection of art and science. Indian pottery tradition has been a symbol of our ethnic diversity. Over the centuries, pottery has continued to evolve as an art as well as a craft. With technology being at the forefront today, this ancient art has also snooped out of the rural nook and corners to the cities. Ceramic art has evolved from being a local craft to a statement-making utility, finally receiving recognition for its creative and utilitarian potential.

With sustainable and mindful living becoming the norm now, people are now waking up to the charms of pottery as they are more cognizant of what they consume. I was born and raised in a small town known as Palghar in Maharashtra and my journey as an entrepreneur started much later in life. I finished my post graduation from the University of Mumbai and then moved to Chicago after marriage. For many years, I worked for American Mortgage before we decided to move back to India. After having worked internationally, I was ready to embark on a new journey and was looking for an opportunity to unleash my artistic skills.

As I have always been an admirer of handmade products and had seen ceramic wares worldwide, I realized that with the kind of talented workforce that India has, we have a huge potential in creating exclusively novel products that match international standards and quality. With this vision, PotteryDen was established in Pune as a lifestyle brand with a unique range of handcrafted products. At PotteryDen, we believe that art needs to be trendy and chic along with being functional and sustainable to be a part of our daily life. We believe that the simplicity of design can go a long way. With every design of ours, we are trying to bridge the gap between tradition and style to deliver the best of both. All designs are influenced by nature like seasonal colours, nature, festivities, and earthy tones. Our designs are eco-friendly and all the products here are prepared from 100% lead-free clay which means no emission of toxic substances into the environment. All of our designs are made by hand without the use of a printing machine. While ensuring that we are a sustainable brand, we also create products that are modern-compatible, microwave, and dishwasher-safe. For these reasons, I settled on presenting only the finest hand-made, pure-clay ware. I feel that there’s something particularly cherished about a product that’s been handcrafted.

Why do I believe that sustainability is the way to go?

The mental health of latchkey children deteriorates if not properly handled by such parents. Eating disorders, insecurities, loneliness, etc. are essential outcomes when such children are not entertained properly by their parents when they come back home. In a nutshell, I personally feel that modern children are UNHEARD CHILDREN. Parents either don’t have time to listen to them or they don’t realize the importance of communication with their children due to their so-called perceived self-occupancy. This pathetic situation is hazardous for the mental health of these unheard children pushing them towards physical and vocal violence, stubbornness, unhealthy attentionseeking behaviour or indulgence with nonhuman models.

Working with a material that is taken from the earth seems as natural as you can get, but there is so much more one has to do to ensure create a sustainable brand. With the growing concern for the environment, I believe that it is our collective responsibility to use more renewable and recyclable products. Earthenware products have a high recyclability rate of approximately 95%, making them an excellent choice in today’s consumer-driven world, where disposable items are often favoured over durable ones. By creating high-quality, long-lasting pottery items, we can reduce the need for disposable or single-use products. Additionally, choosing pottery over plastic can also help reduce waste.

Also, earthenware takes less energy to form than other production processes. We try to use locally-sourced clay to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation while using glaze made from natural materials such as plant ash. With PotteryDen, our aim is to bring beauty and artistry to everyday life with our wide range of unique designs and handcrafted products. We are passionate about creating beautiful and functional pottery that is also sustainable and environmentally friendly. Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in every aspect of our business, from the materials we use to our production methods and packaging. We believe that artistry and sustainability can go hand in hand, and we strive to create unique pieces that are both visually stunning and ethically made.

Sustainability is not just a trend, but a responsibility!