Handcrafted with Love

pottery-singapore-asobi

At Studio Asobi, we believe that there is a place in this world for beautiful creations crafted by hand – slowly, lovingly and uniquely.

Our clay vessels each bear a name and a little haiku, and just as we have enjoyed making them, we hope that they bring the same joy to whoever holds and uses them.

The pictures below are a glimpse of our pottery works and creative process. Larger sculptures and installations can be found here.

We welcome you to join our pottery journey too, with our individual workshops, corporate sessions, or spiritual retreats

Part 2:

We revisited our childhood and could process on hindsight more things and events that were formative or that needed to be redeemed. We communicated even more deeply as we made intentional decisions on how to nurture our child amidst the noisy landscape of cultural opinions and practices.   

As we watched him grow, explore and reach up to conquer his fears; there is that sweet satisfaction of being able to witness all these and being able to be cheerleaders alongside. It is kinda like the satisfaction from the process of seeing a lump of clay transform into a beautiful vessel. It is still early days of course,, but we have found parenting to be more and more enjoyable as he grew. 

Something that we talk often about, is the need to work on ourselves, as opposed to just focusing on working on the child. There is so much anxiety in modern day parenting about not wanting the child to fall behind and hence it seems better to hurry to the next lamppost ahead of peers but what kind of fruits are actually being reaped here? 

Parenting brings up so many opportunities for inner work and it can be so easy to get caught up with what the child needs to learn, rather than what we ourselves need to learn or change so that the family unit stays harmonious and looks forward to life ahead together. 

The real test of whether clay successfully transforms into a pottery vessel is not how it looks at the end of the making; but whether it passes the test of fire. It can have the looks of a well made and impressive piece, but the fire will either strengthen or destroy the work. 

The real test of whether the child succeeds, is not in the school phase but in the adulthood phase. Will they thrive as adults? Or start having issues because it is no longer about swimming in the pool with marked lanes but in the open sea. 

Culture takes time and people to shift and my prayer is that we would tend to the gardens of our homes and do the necessary work but also let the process take its place for the flowers to bloom in due course in their unforced rhythms. 

#culturecare #innerwork #parenting #children #clay #pottery #sgparenting #mentalwellness #anxiety #unforcedrhythms

Part 2:

We revisited our childhood and could process on hindsight more things and events that were formative or that needed to be redeemed. We communicated even more deeply as we made intentional decisions on how to nurture our child amidst the noisy landscape of cultural opinions and practices.  

As we watched him grow, explore and reach up to conquer his fears; there is that sweet satisfaction of being able to witness all these and being able to be cheerleaders alongside. It is kinda like the satisfaction from the process of seeing a lump of clay transform into a beautiful vessel. It is still early days of course,, but we have found parenting to be more and more enjoyable as he grew.

Something that we talk often about, is the need to work on ourselves, as opposed to just focusing on working on the child. There is so much anxiety in modern day parenting about not wanting the child to fall behind and hence it seems better to hurry to the next lamppost ahead of peers but what kind of fruits are actually being reaped here?

Parenting brings up so many opportunities for inner work and it can be so easy to get caught up with what the child needs to learn, rather than what we ourselves need to learn or change so that the family unit stays harmonious and looks forward to life ahead together.

The real test of whether clay successfully transforms into a pottery vessel is not how it looks at the end of the making; but whether it passes the test of fire. It can have the looks of a well made and impressive piece, but the fire will either strengthen or destroy the work.

The real test of whether the child succeeds, is not in the school phase but in the adulthood phase. Will they thrive as adults? Or start having issues because it is no longer about swimming in the pool with marked lanes but in the open sea.

Culture takes time and people to shift and my prayer is that we would tend to the gardens of our homes and do the necessary work but also let the process take its place for the flowers to bloom in due course in their unforced rhythms.

#culturecare #innerwork #parenting #children #clay #pottery #sgparenting #mentalwellness #anxiety #unforcedrhythms
...

Part 1:

Playing with clay is often described as being therapeutic. Sometimes we have self-professed "very bad in art" type of people who come and try pottery and then they get pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoyed the process as well as how good their pieces could be!

There are many reasons why this is so. Clay is from the earth and its tactile properties help us to release pent up tension accumulated in our bodies. The material is also very evocative of childhood; as it can feel similar to the times when we used to play with Play-Doh or plasticine. Clay kick-starts generative thinking as it is so open-ended that many different ideas can come up while the hands are at work. So if you haven't tried pottery, you can consider coming for our workshop or retreat! :)

However, this isn't what I was primarily thinking about today. Lately there have been different news articles about dropping fertility rates (in Singapore and other developed countries) as well as rising mental unwellness among the young. 

We could relate to some of the reasons why people didn't want to have children because we were once thinking the same thoughts. We were in Year 6 of our marriage when we decided to try for a child. Having now passed Year 6 of our child's life, we are so thankful for what he has brought into our lives! 

We thought we were already very happy and fulfilled and had everything we could wish for but he expanded our hearts' capacity to love and filled it with even more joy. We didn't even know there was still so much depth to life and meaning that a baby or child could bring forth. The stresses and uncertainties of parenting, diaper changes and night wakes were very real but in those times of trials and suffering; we grew and our character was moulded. 

Through the eyes and the mind of a child, the world became more beautiful and the wonders of nature and simple things were like peels of an onion that just revealed more and more. 

#reflection #culturecare #family #parenting #children #clay #pottery #sgparenting #mentalwellness

Part 1:

Playing with clay is often described as being therapeutic. Sometimes we have self-professed "very bad in art" type of people who come and try pottery and then they get pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoyed the process as well as how good their pieces could be!

There are many reasons why this is so. Clay is from the earth and its tactile properties help us to release pent up tension accumulated in our bodies. The material is also very evocative of childhood; as it can feel similar to the times when we used to play with Play-Doh or plasticine. Clay kick-starts generative thinking as it is so open-ended that many different ideas can come up while the hands are at work. So if you haven`t tried pottery, you can consider coming for our workshop or retreat! :)

However, this isn`t what I was primarily thinking about today. Lately there have been different news articles about dropping fertility rates (in Singapore and other developed countries) as well as rising mental unwellness among the young.

We could relate to some of the reasons why people didn`t want to have children because we were once thinking the same thoughts. We were in Year 6 of our marriage when we decided to try for a child. Having now passed Year 6 of our child`s life, we are so thankful for what he has brought into our lives!

We thought we were already very happy and fulfilled and had everything we could wish for but he expanded our hearts` capacity to love and filled it with even more joy. We didn`t even know there was still so much depth to life and meaning that a baby or child could bring forth. The stresses and uncertainties of parenting, diaper changes and night wakes were very real but in those times of trials and suffering; we grew and our character was moulded.

Through the eyes and the mind of a child, the world became more beautiful and the wonders of nature and simple things were like peels of an onion that just revealed more and more.

#reflection #culturecare #family #parenting #children #clay #pottery #sgparenting #mentalwellness
...

今早心血來潮,突然想唱唱歌。

流行音樂一直陪伴著我成長;首首金曲牽帶著不同時段的回憶。當年放学後看著電視節目; 與朋友 K 歌,不知不覺中也學會了繁體字。跟我同年代的人,這經歷還算蠻普遍的吧。

如今身為父母,跟大家一樣都在關注如何讓孩子對中文感興趣。我對此也很關心; 因為中文實在是很棒的語言! 很可惜這年代在新加坡,這母語更貼切地可以被形容為孩子的外語。

一面 K 歌,心裡不經有些感觸。我一直偏愛中文歌,因為很多時候歌詞能把一些微妙的感受描述得很動人。 雖然歌詞有時也很 emo; 但表達的不是賭氣憤怒;而多半是成全和祝福。這也許也是東方人的一種溫柔。

那年代,誰不在聽周杰倫和五月天?青春期的懵懂, 難受,鬱悶,灑脫在字裡行間內述說著。真的好感謝有他們陪伴著我們的成長期。

我們家裡去年增添了一台歌唱機。我們先唱著;等待兒子與朋友長大一點後,也和我們一同唱歌,咀嚼中文的酸甜苦辣。希望他們到時看得懂歌詞啊! :D

#繁體字 #唱歌 #周杰倫 #五月天 #studiolife

今早心血來潮,突然想唱唱歌。

流行音樂一直陪伴著我成長;首首金曲牽帶著不同時段的回憶。當年放学後看著電視節目; 與朋友 K 歌,不知不覺中也學會了繁體字。跟我同年代的人,這經歷還算蠻普遍的吧。

如今身為父母,跟大家一樣都在關注如何讓孩子對中文感興趣。我對此也很關心; 因為中文實在是很棒的語言! 很可惜這年代在新加坡,這母語更貼切地可以被形容為孩子的外語。

一面 K 歌,心裡不經有些感觸。我一直偏愛中文歌,因為很多時候歌詞能把一些微妙的感受描述得很動人。 雖然歌詞有時也很 emo; 但表達的不是賭氣憤怒;而多半是成全和祝福。這也許也是東方人的一種溫柔。

那年代,誰不在聽周杰倫和五月天?青春期的懵懂, 難受,鬱悶,灑脫在字裡行間內述說著。真的好感謝有他們陪伴著我們的成長期。

我們家裡去年增添了一台歌唱機。我們先唱著;等待兒子與朋友長大一點後,也和我們一同唱歌,咀嚼中文的酸甜苦辣。希望他們到時看得懂歌詞啊! :D

#繁體字 #唱歌 #周杰倫 #五月天 #studiolife
...

也许在内卷与躺平之间,
有着另一种步道。
用赏花的节奏,
漫步遊走。

#throwback #sakura #reflections #内卷 #躺平 #漫步

也许在内卷与躺平之间,
有着另一种步道。
用赏花的节奏,
漫步遊走。

#throwback #sakura #reflections #内卷 #躺平 #漫步
...

Rest is so important to each of us. Especially the restedness of our souls; for it determines how we view and respond to the various circumstances of our lives. Two weeks into 2024 - are you feeling rested? :)

If you are feeling a little tired and weary, we would like to invite you to join our spiritual pottery retreat, where we can spend 6 hours together; receiving the rest and nourishment that God provides and enjoying the therapeutic nature of clay. 

29 Jan 2024 (Monday, 10am - 4pm) 

More details can be found here: https://studioasobi.com/the-potters-clay-pottery-retreat/

P.S. Thanks Dory for the beautiful picture! 

#rest #retreat #pottery #singapore

Rest is so important to each of us. Especially the restedness of our souls; for it determines how we view and respond to the various circumstances of our lives. Two weeks into 2024 - are you feeling rested? :)

If you are feeling a little tired and weary, we would like to invite you to join our spiritual pottery retreat, where we can spend 6 hours together; receiving the rest and nourishment that God provides and enjoying the therapeutic nature of clay.

29 Jan 2024 (Monday, 10am - 4pm)

More details can be found here: https://studioasobi.com/the-potters-clay-pottery-retreat/

P.S. Thanks Dory for the beautiful picture!

#rest #retreat #pottery #singapore
...

As we approach our 10th year as Studio Asobi, I'll be the first to admit that often we still don't know what we are doing! Just yesterday, we opened our kiln only to find, horror of horrors, that one of our student's creations had completely shattered at the base during bisque firing. So explosive it was - some pieces even flew up and landed on other vessels!

As we stood there stupefied, I thought to myself that this is probably why many potters still believe in the idea of kiln gods - hot tempered and capricious - residing in every kiln. All of these vessels had spent at least 6 days drying, why would just one piece explode in such dramatic fashion?

Eventually, we came to the conclusion that:
1. The last week of December was cool and humid, slowing down the drying
2. We usually dry our greenware on top of firing kilns, but this time we were away on holiday on Bintan and didn't do it.
3. The flat base of this piece sat directly on our shelf rather than being elevated, further slowing down the drying
4. There was a lot of slip applied to the walls of the vessel, adding more moisture than it would otherwise have
5. The residual moisture couldn't evaporate in time during the firing process, and at 100degC everything turned into steam, causing an explosion
6. There isn't a kiln god in our kiln 😅

It was certainly our mistake for not ensuring the vessel was ready for firing, but we are so grateful for our student who graciously took it in her stride!

This experience also gave us quite a profound revelation about life.  With social media, it is quite easy for our family and personal lives to be packaged and presented nicely to those around us. But behind these glossy facades often lie hidden hurts, insecurities, disappointments, even simmering hatred that don't see the light of day. But when the kiln heats up - a work crisis, a betrayal uncovered, a child or aged parent entering the household - this unreleased moisture can boil all at once, causing our carefully crafted lives to shatter irreparably.

May we all find it in us to let go of what we shouldn't hold on to, so that when life heats up, we don't shatter, but instead mature into beautiful vessels.

As we approach our 10th year as Studio Asobi, I`ll be the first to admit that often we still don`t know what we are doing! Just yesterday, we opened our kiln only to find, horror of horrors, that one of our student`s creations had completely shattered at the base during bisque firing. So explosive it was - some pieces even flew up and landed on other vessels!

As we stood there stupefied, I thought to myself that this is probably why many potters still believe in the idea of kiln gods - hot tempered and capricious - residing in every kiln. All of these vessels had spent at least 6 days drying, why would just one piece explode in such dramatic fashion?

Eventually, we came to the conclusion that:
1. The last week of December was cool and humid, slowing down the drying
2. We usually dry our greenware on top of firing kilns, but this time we were away on holiday on Bintan and didn`t do it.
3. The flat base of this piece sat directly on our shelf rather than being elevated, further slowing down the drying
4. There was a lot of slip applied to the walls of the vessel, adding more moisture than it would otherwise have
5. The residual moisture couldn`t evaporate in time during the firing process, and at 100degC everything turned into steam, causing an explosion
6. There isn`t a kiln god in our kiln 😅

It was certainly our mistake for not ensuring the vessel was ready for firing, but we are so grateful for our student who graciously took it in her stride!

This experience also gave us quite a profound revelation about life. With social media, it is quite easy for our family and personal lives to be packaged and presented nicely to those around us. But behind these glossy facades often lie hidden hurts, insecurities, disappointments, even simmering hatred that don`t see the light of day. But when the kiln heats up - a work crisis, a betrayal uncovered, a child or aged parent entering the household - this unreleased moisture can boil all at once, causing our carefully crafted lives to shatter irreparably.

May we all find it in us to let go of what we shouldn`t hold on to, so that when life heats up, we don`t shatter, but instead mature into beautiful vessels.
...

So delighted to see our little kingfisher again, now happily settled at Fort Canning Park's Sang Nila Utama garden, 4 years after it landed there. Love how the moss is starting to grow on this lazy bird who doesn't want to move at all!

Every time I see it, I'm reminded that our studio's name (Asobi) means "play", not "work". Sometimes we forget, and life becomes more difficult, we become more weary, and the burden grows heavier. But when we remember, everything flows.

Thank you @bynickchin for this lovely photo!

So delighted to see our little kingfisher again, now happily settled at Fort Canning Park`s Sang Nila Utama garden, 4 years after it landed there. Love how the moss is starting to grow on this lazy bird who doesn`t want to move at all!

Every time I see it, I`m reminded that our studio`s name (Asobi) means "play", not "work". Sometimes we forget, and life becomes more difficult, we become more weary, and the burden grows heavier. But when we remember, everything flows.

Thank you @bynickchin for this lovely photo!
...