We are moving to the Jura. Reopening in 2027.
After 2 years in Zürich Oerlikon, Clay & Tao is relocating to Cornol, canton du Jura — a village with a pottery tradition dating back to the 16th century.
Classes in Zürich are paused. A new format is coming — immersive pottery stages and Tao consultations — where making ceramics becomes a practice for life — from our new atelier in the Jura, surrounded by nature.
Cornol · Jura suisse · 1h from BaselPottery stages
in the Jura.
Make something
with your hands.
Wheel throwing and hand-building stages in Cornol, Jura suisse — a village with a pottery tradition dating back to the 16th century. Small groups. Lab-tested glazes. Surrounded in nature.
6
PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM30
ELEMENTS LAB-TESTED IN OUR GLAZESXVI
CENTURY POTTERY TRADITION IN CORNOLTHE PRACTICEPottery stages in the Jura countryside.
Clay & Tao offers immersive pottery stages in Cornol, Jura suisse — 1 hour from Basel, 1h20 from Berne, 1h50 from Zürich. Each stage focuses on one discipline. They can be followed independently or as a cycle.
Every morning begins with Qi Gong. The body settles. The hands become available. The clay responds differently when you stop forcing it.
"Practising at the wheel is practising for life. The benefits go far beyond making a pot."
Qi Gong practice before the clay.
Qi Gong is a Chinese practice that works with breath, slow movement and awareness to bring the body into balance — and into connection with the natural world around it. Developed over centuries, it is used today in clinical settings, martial arts and everyday wellbeing practice across Asia and beyond.
At the wheel, the moment you force, the clay collapses. This is Wu Wei — the Taoist principle of acting without forcing. Making yourself available to the action, rather than imposing upon it. Qi Gong teaches presence before technique. The work that follows is different — more patient, more precise, more alive.
WHAT WE OFFERFive formats. One practice.
STAGE 2 DAYS
The gesture
WHEEL THROWING
Pure technique — centring, opening, raising. No finished pieces. Only the practice of the gesture itself. Wu Wei at the wheel.
Qi Gong Lunch included
STAGE 3 DAYS
The large piece
HAND BUILDING
Coil-building one large piece by hand. Pieces rest at the atelier — collect them at The Fire Day, within 3 months.
Qi Gong Lunch included
STAGE 1 DAY
The fire decides
SURFACE AND FIRE
Pit fire technique. Work on pre-fired pieces. Pieces leave with you.
Qi Gong Lunch included
STAGE 2 DAYS
Tao & intention
QIMEN AND BAZI
Qimen consultation, Tao alignment, creation of a personal altar. Independent from the other stages — open to all, no ceramic experience required.
Qi Gong
Consultation
Lunch included
STAGE 2 DAYS
Make your own table
YOUR OWN TABLEWARE
Create a complete set of tableware for 6 — plates, bowls, cups. 100% food safe glazes. Previous experience in wheel throwing or hand-building required.
Experience required Lunch included
ONCE EVERY MONTH
The Fire Day
GLAZING - COMMUNITY
Once a month, the atelier opens for stage participants to glaze their pieces and take them home fired. A few hours, good company, and the satisfaction of seeing your work come to life. Pieces rest at the atelier for up to 3 months — after that, they return to the earth.
Booking required
BEYOND THE STUDIOTao consultations.
Taoism is one of China's oldest philosophical traditions. Its practical tools — BaZi, Qimen Dunjia, Feng Shui — are structured systems developed over centuries to read timing, clarify decisions and understand personal direction.
A consultation gives you a map, not a prescription. You bring the question. The tools bring structure. You keep your own judgment.
Sessions available online in English, French, German and Italian. CHF 130 · 60 minutes.
What a consultation covers
BaZi — your personal chart · timing and energy cycles
Qimen Dunjia — strategic clarity on a specific question
CHF 130.-
60 min · Online or in Cornol
Feng Shui — spatial alignment for home or studio
CHF 10.- / m2
Online or in Cornol
HOW TO GET THERE Cornol, Jura suisse — closer than you think.
A pottery tradition in Cornol dating back to the 16th century. Fields, forest and silence — 1 hour from Basel, 1h20 from Berne, 1h50 from Zürich, 2h40 from Geneva by car. Free transport included from Courgeney train station.
from Basel
1h by train and car
from Zürich
2h by train
1h50 by car
from Bern
1h30 by train
1h20 by car
from Geneva
2h40 by train and by car
FROM PAST STUDENTS★★★★★
"Having tried several pottery studios in Zurich, I can highly recommend Clay & Tao. Individual focus, warm atmosphere — and I've learnt to recenter myself in this space."
Google review · Zürich"Einfach ein toller, chilliger Ort. Alexandra hat eine Engelsgeduld und zeigt ganz sanft die Richtung. Die Resultate machen einfach nur Spass."
Google review"Most amazing and relaxing experience ever! Alex is the sweetest and most patient person — you'll learn so much as a beginner."
Google review