ceramic artist handbuilding pottery — Here you can see me finishing some beautiful candle holders that were made using the pinching technique.

Long before the invention of the potter’s wheel, humans coiled, pinched and pressed earth into vessels that held food, water, fire - life itself. Today, that ancient tradition holds, and there’s something beautifully grounding and unique about the slow shaping of clay with your own bare hands. A return of sorts to our roots if you will.

This is the essence of handbuilt pottery - it’s a slow, intuitive process that connects you to the earth, your body and a thousand-year old tradition.

My name’s África, the creator behind La Bacante, where every ceramic piece is handbuilt by me, one by one, in my pottery studio in Paris. I’d be honored to guide you through what handbuilt pottery means, introduce you to the most essential ceramic handbuilding techniques, and share why this method is both accessible to everyone and also deeply meaningful.

What Is Handbuilt Pottery?

When we talk about handbuilt pottery we’re refering to pottery made without using a potter’s wheel. It’s a little bit senseless because pottery made with a potter’s wheel is also handmade - however this is the currently universally accepted naming convention, so we’re going with it. Instead of using a potter’s wheel then, we use our hands and a few tools (as many or as little as you’d like) to create the desired vessels from the clay. It’s the oldest known method of making pottery, dating back over 10,000 years.

The beauty of handbuilt pottery is that it’s almost sculpting - as such, it offers much more flexibility than the wheel, as you’re not confined to make circular nor symmetrical forms. You can make, literally, anything you can dream of. Handbuilt pottery pieces often distinguish themselves for being slightly imperfect in the most beautiful way - full of textures, curves and details that make each piece unique. However, if you prefer balanced, perfect pieces, with much patience and mastery, this can also be accomplished through handbuilding techniques.

Why Is Handbuilt Pottery So Important To Me? Why Should You Care?

Nothing makes my blood boil like walking into a Zara Home and seeing handmade pottery knockoffs (meticulously engineered imperfections and all). We live in a world where everything is mass produced, where we’re not able to tell anymore where any of our possessions come from, and where a single object is regurgitated time and time again, identically, until we tire of it. In stark contrast, handbuilt ceramics offer something deeply personal. These are beautiful, functional art pieces, made by my hands (or any potter’s hands) and then passed directly unto yours. There is warmth in that. There is a human touch. There is a beautiful intention woven into the very soul of the piece. I can tell you it was made with love, because I made it. I think handmade pottery brings back a little bit of magic into our daily lives. It reminds us that certain things are sacred acts of love - like sharing a meal. Not just another daily task to check off a list.

In handmade pottery, every dent, line, and touch left by the maker’s hands tells a story. Here’s why I believe handbuilding matters more than ever:

No fancy tools needed. You can start with just clay and your hands— you can even forego the kiln and use air drying clay.
Beautiful irregularity. Handmade ceramics have character, soul, and natural asymmetry - it mirrors nature, which is never perfect.
Creative freedom. Without the circular constraint of the wheel, the possibilities for shape and style are endless.
Connection to the past. Handbuilding has been practiced across cultures, from the Mediterranean to Asia to the Americas.
More sustainable. When handbuilding, we use much less water than with wheelthrowing, and less clay is lost in the process. This makes for a more eco-friendly and sustainable art practice.

When I’m working with clay, I’m participating in a beautiful ancient ritual. With a lump of earth in my hands, I get to slow down. I breathe more consciously. I can take the time to look at my piece, listen to what it needs. I can create something that carries intention.

The 3 main pottery handbuilding techniques

If the art of making pottery by hand sparks your curiosity, you can start by learning about its three foundational techniques. This is interesting if you want to start a small, at-home pottery practice with air-drying clay, or if you want to learn more about the ways in which some of the handmade pieces you own are crafted. These techniques have been around for millennia, they’re as relevant as ever, and I love working with 2 out of the 3 of them!! (Bear in mind, there are more techniques than the ones listed here below, I’m just listing the 3 most widely used, main ones).

Pinch Potting

Okay so pinch pottery is one of my all-time favorite techniques. It’s extremely versatile, very meditative and every piece results of a slow, meaningful encounter between the clay, and you.

handmade ceramic matcha bowls — Handcrafted matcha bowls using the pinching technique in my *atelier* in Paris. You can see a freshly made one and a dry one where a foot has been carved and a spout added.

Pinch pottery starts with a simple ball of clay. You then use your fingers to create an opening in the center and slowly pinch the walls, the foot, shaping it slowly from the inside out. This method is typically used for small bows, cups, incense holders or candle bases, but you can also use it for slightly larger pieces. I love using the pinching method to create matcha bowls, small pitchers, coffee cups or small plates. It’s an extremely versatile and beginner-friendly technique because guess what - if you don’t like how you’re piece is turning out, you can always roll it right back into a ball and start again!

When pinch potting, you can either work the clay completely through the pinching, or let it dry until leather-hard and come in with one or two tools to trim away excess clay and craft a foot, thinner walls, a spout…

The advantages of the pinching handbuilding technique:

Great for beginners
Minimal tools needed
Offers a very intimate connection with the clay

Coil Building

Coil building is another big favorite of mine, and it’s the technique that made me fall in love with handbuilding pottery. I had always worked at a potter’s wheel until one day I decided to crack open a bag of clay at home - wheel-lessly of course - I had seen videos of people stacking coils to build vases so I tried my hand at it. At first it was extremely challenging and much harder than it looks but I fell in love with this technique!

You build your piece from the base up, taking the time to step back and look at it at each stage, listening to what it needs and how it wants to move and grow. Sometimes, you start out with a fixed idea for a vase in your mind, and then the clay takes you in unexpected directions, and you wind up somewhere you never would have thought.

So, how do we coil build? We create long “snakes”, “ropes” or “coils” of clay that are stacked in spirals and then smoothed together - it’s as simple and as difficult as that! This technique is perfect for creating larger objects such as vases, jars or even sculptural pieces.

The advantages of the coil building technique:

Ideal for taller or larger forms
Allows for organic curves or symmetry
You can leave the coils visible or blend them for a smooth finish

Slab Building

handbuilt ceramic candle holder — The bottom of one of my pinched candle holders. Pieces can be smoothed out with the help of a few simple tools.

In the spirit of full transparency, this is the one technique I personally never use. It’s not very appealing to me, but I know very many wonderful potters that employ it, and it’s usually a technique that beginners connect with right away as it’s very intuitive and relatively simple.

Slab building works by rolling out slabs of clay, like you would dough, until they’re the desired thickness and largeness, and then you cut out the needed shapes and join them together through scoring and slipping. It’s the most literal form of pottery hand-building - you can even follow a pre-drawn map of how your different shapes will go together.

Many potters swear by this technique to create more symmetrical, balanced pieces. You can, for instance, cut out a long rectangle that you roll together to form the walls of a mug, and then score it onto a circular piece of clay to create the base, and you’ve got yourself a lovely mug!

The advantages of the slab building technique:

Great for structured forms (mugs, trays, boxes, wall pieces)
Easily customizable with texture stamps or carving
Allows for clean lines and bold silhouettes

Ok but what can I create with handbuilt pottery?

For me, the beauty of handbuilt pottery lies in its slow pace, its freedom. You’re not limited to the spinning symmetry of the wheel - you can build vessels, sculptures, altars or functional items full of intention.

Here are some ideas you can make without a wheel:

Ritual cups and tea bowls
Incense holders and candle stands
Jewelry trays or offering dishes
Wall hangings and decorative tiles
Vases, planters, or centerpieces

The intention behind my own creations is to create handbuilt ceramics to elevate everyday moments into sacred rituals through pieces meant to be held, used and honored.

If you’re an aspiring ceramicist, someone looking for a new hobby or someone who deeply appreciates handmade ceramics, I hope this introduction to handbuilt pottery inspires you!

To work with clay by hand is to step into something sacred. You’re not just giving shape to a pot - you’re creating with intention, participating in a vast cultural tradition, and working in tune with a bit of the earth itself.

What Is Handbuilt Pottery? A Beginner’s Guide To Ceramic Handbuilding