Welcome! I am Annya Bandstra, a passionate ceramic artist who loves exploring the properties and characteristics of various materials. From the form, function, colour, texture, to design, I find joy in experimenting and discovering the relationship between them. As an avid traveller, every place I have visited inspires my art pieces. With a deep respect for the ancient art of pottery, I started The Clay House with the objective to share my love of and expertise in pottery with others. It is my mission to make clay a therapeutic, educational, and fun activity that everyone can enjoy.

My journey did not start in pottery. After graduating from university with a Computer Science Degree, I quickly started traveling and working abroad. I have visited well over 67 countries, while working in Singapore, Dubai, and Jordan, before landing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2017. There, I stumbled upon a small pottery workshop during a rainy day, and the rest is history. From a beginners course in hand building, I became a dedicated apprentice and started my international journey to deepen my skills in ceramics.

Under the intensive tutelage of Vietnamese Master Potter, Mr. Dat Nguyen, I extended my knowledge and experience in throwing on the wheel, glazing, and ancient firing techniques like raku, pit-firing, and sagar-firing. I even travelled to Japan for an intensive workshop under Sensei Kato Hiroshige, a third-generation potter. From other ceramics workshops in China, Nepal, India, the Netherlands, Taiwan, to Indonesia, I have gained more and more knowledge and experience in local and traditional pottery techniques.

I found that pottery is a therapeutic art form that allows absolute freedom of creativity and expression, which has found its way into my heart. Come join me in discovering the joy of pottery at The Clay House.