Learn wheel art at THIS ‘residential’ pottery studio in Hyderabad

“Everybody has an innate talent and a knack to create, you just need to channel the artist within you,” says Carmel Hessing, who is giving new dimensions to the age-old art of pottery through her pottery studio ‘Claysutra’.  A potter, sculptor, sketch artist, and fine artist, Carmel has donned a lot of hats and been dabbling in the world of art throughout her life. However, she officially started spinning the pottery wheel in 2016 out of the sheer desire to create and go back to her artistic roots. Carmel explains, “I didn’t think about the market or the need, I just knew I had to fulfill my dream of opening a pottery studio, and everything else followed through.”  Located in the lap of Padma Rao Nagar and spread across a lush area of 2000sq feet, Claysutra studio allows you the perfect space to pursue your creative sensibilities and indulge in the pleasure of handmade art.  Claysutra’s Journey While Carmel had opened her studio in 2016, it wasn’t until 2018 that she opened it up for the public to learn from her. “Earlier I used to do only commissioned work for cafes, restaurants, and public spaces. I wanted the studio solely to myself,” she says with a laugh, “but it was also important to make Hyderabad aware of this craft that has been hidden for so long.” Hyderabad, the cultural hub that it is, lacked a proper pottery community back then, and Carmel contributed a lot to bridge that gap.  “Now, we have a large number of potters and pottery studios in Hyderabad, a majority of them are my pupils too,” Carmel says proudly while keeping an eye on her students working the pottery wheel.