I love how clay is such a central part of human life in so many ways. Whether it be in construction, dentistry, aviation, electrical work, medicine, or art, we find use for it everywhere, and we humans are, in some part, made from it, too.

From my first few interactions with this material as a kid making dollhouses with the dug-up mud from our yard or cooking marinated meat in a sealed terracotta pot on a bonfire, to creating monumental forms as well as functional and aesthetic pots and sculptures from clay a few decades later, I have long been fascinated by its limitless possibilities. My work is inspired by the material itself. I mold clay, and the clay molds me. 

My professional relationship with the material began as an undergraduate student at Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda, India 1996 with the guidance from Jayanti Rabadia and Jyotsana Bhatt. It took more serious turn when I became an assistant to Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith at Golden Bridge Pottery, Pondicherry, India in 2002.

Working with a long list of invited artists-in-residence at Golden Bridge Pottery was an important influence on the way I saw working with the material, and a scholarship that took me to the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Japan broadened my horizons further.  

For me, teaching is a two-way street. I may have circled around the sun a greater number of years, but I have not walked the paths you have. In this arena, I have worked with clay for longer and have some of that experience and perspective to share with you. You will bring your experiences to the process of growing together on this platform. You know, and I know, we come together and learn from each other. The three important aspects when working with clay for me are 1. Refining form, 2. Honing skills, 3. Cultivating observation, fascination and astonishment in the maker, viewer and seeker.