Clay & Tao · Approach & MethodA practice built
on technical
depth.
Behind every session at Clay & Tao is more than a decade of focused ceramic research — in wheel technique, glaze chemistry, firing processes and the pedagogy of teaching others to progress with confidence.
10 +
Years of ceramic practice — wheel, hand-building, glazes, firing
4
Specialised mentors — Joëlle Swanet, Eric Swanet, Lauriane Firoben, Barbara Wagner
2
Firing techniques — electric kiln, paper kiln (Firoben) & pit firing (Wagner)
0
Heavy metals in any glaze — independently lab-verified
Teaching philosophy
Precision, patience
and real progression.
Clay & Tao was built on a conviction: that real technical progress is possible for anyone, when the teaching is precise, the environment is supportive and the guidance is genuinely individual.
Most pottery studios prioritise the experience over the technique. Here, both matter. The calm atmosphere and the small groups exist not just for comfort, but because they are the conditions under which real learning actually happens.
Every element of the studio — the glaze formulations, the approach to the wheel, the pacing of sessions — reflects sustained research and a commitment to doing things properly.
"My intention is to create conditions where sustained technical practice and engagement with material quietly reshape perception, gesture and personal alignment over time."
Alexandra Romy · Founder, Clay & Tao
Principle 01
Individual attention, always
Maximum 4 students per session is not a marketing choice — it's a pedagogical one. Real progression requires watching how someone moves, corrects and responds to feedback. That's only possible in a small group.
Principle 02
Technique before aesthetics
Beautiful pieces emerge from solid foundations. The studio prioritises the development of control, consistency and understanding of materials — from which creative expression naturally follows.
Principle 03
Safety is non-negotiable
Every glaze is handcrafted and lab-tested. The studio is fully ventilated. These are not extras — they are the baseline of a serious ceramic practice.
Principle 04
Long-term over short-term
The flexible pack system exists because real skill develops over time, not in a single workshop. The studio is designed to support a sustained practice — one that students can return to and grow with for years.
Signature method
The Grounded
Wheel Approach.
Most wheel throwing instruction is built around force, repetition and muscle memory. The Grounded Wheel Approach takes a different route — one grounded in body awareness, breath and the Taoist principle of Wu Wei, or effortless action.
Developed through sustained research and training with Joëlle Swanet (Slow Throwing method), this approach teaches students to work with the clay rather than against it — using posture, breath and centred movement to generate consistent, controlled results without strain.
The practical result: students develop greater control more quickly, experience less frustration, and are able to work with larger and more demanding clay bodies earlier in their practice. It is a method rarely encountered in Swiss ceramic teaching.
Trained with
Inspired by the Slow Throwing method developed by Joëlle Swanet, further developed through sustained studio research at Clay & Tao.
What this means in practice
Breath integrated into the throwing sequence
Grounded body posture for consistent centring and no back pain
Shaping from the inside out — not forcing the form
Ability to work with 5kg+ clay bodies
Ability to work with groggeg clays
Faster progress, less frustration
Applicable to all levels — beginner to advanced
◎
Breath
Breathing is integrated into the throwing sequence — not as a mindfulness add-on, but as a technical tool for stability and precision.
○
Wu Wei
The Taoist principle of effortless action — finding the path of least resistance rather than imposing force on the material.
▽
Grounding
A rooted body posture reduces tension in the arms and hands — allowing more sensitive, controlled contact with the clay.
↑
Inside out
Forms are developed from within — opening, expanding and refining from the interior rather than compressing from outside.
Technical repertoire
What is taught
at Clay & Tao.
Sessions are adapted to each student's level and goals. The full technical range available at the studio spans from foundational hand-building to advanced wheel technique, glaze formulation and alternative firing.
Foundation
Hand-building
Pinch pot construction
Coil building — small to large scale
Slab work — flat and draped
Surface texture and decoration
Structural reinforcement techniques
Large coiled vessel construction
Surface & finish
Glazes & surface
Glaze application — dipping, brushing, pouring
Layering and colour development
Wax resist and surface masking
Underglazes and ochres
Textural surface treatments
Studio-made glazes — food safe, lab tested
Advanced
Glaze chemistry
Raw material sourcing and mixing
Flux, silica and alumina balance
Colourant oxides and their behaviour
Stability and food-safety testing
Recipe development and documentation
Trained with Joëlle & Eric Swanet
Core technique
Wheel throwing
Centring — grounded approach
Cylinders, bowls, plates
Throwing with larger clay weights
Trimming and foot refinement
Handles and attachments
Form consistency and repetition
Firing
Kiln & firing
Electric kiln — bisque and glaze firing
Firing schedules and temperature curves
Primitive firing — open-air techniques
Pit firing — surface effects and carbon
Obvara — traditionnal middle age glazing method
Understanding shrinkage and clay behaviour
Practice
Creative development
Form language and visual intention
Working in series
Developing a personal direction
Curator's eye for form and context
Documentation and reflection
Glaze chemistry
Handcrafted glazes —
lab verified.
Glaze formulation is one of the most technically demanding aspects of ceramic practice. It requires an understanding of raw material chemistry, firing behaviour, surface stability and food safety — knowledge that takes years to develop properly.
Every glaze used at Clay & Tao is formulated from raw materials in the studio, drawing on training with Joëlle and Eric Swanet in glaze chemistry. Each formula is independently tested by a laboratory for heavy metal content and food safety before use.
This is not a standard practice in most pottery studios — it is a deliberate investment in quality and student safety.
Beyond food safety, we also consider the sourcing of our raw materials. We avoid cobalt — one of the most widely used ceramic oxides — due to the conditions of its extraction. It is an ongoing reflection rather than a perfect system, but one we take seriously.
The result is a palette of warm earth tones, ochres, greens and whites. No cobalt blue. A constraint we've chosen to embrace, and one that has shaped something we consider genuinely our own.
0
Heavy metals in Clay & Tao glazes — lab verified
Lead · Cadmium · Aluminium · Cobalt · Copper · Arsenic
Metals found in many commercial glazes — none in ours
Raw material formulation
Glazes are built from individual raw materials — feldspars, silica, whiting, kaolin — rather than commercial bases. This allows full control over chemistry, texture and firing behaviour.
Trained with specialists
Glaze chemistry training with Joëlle Swanet and Eric Swanet — two of the most respected practitioners of this discipline in French-speaking Europe.
Independent lab testing
Every glaze formula is tested by an independent laboratory for leachable heavy metals. Results are documented and kept on file. No glaze enters the studio without verification.
Safe studio environment
Professional ventilation system installed throughout. Protective equipment provided for all glazing sessions. Students work safely with full awareness of material risks.
Formation & trainingWho shaped
this practice.
Geneva
Myriam Wyss
Foundational ceramic training
First structured ceramic training — foundational wheel and hand-building technique in Geneva, where a sustained practice began.
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Zurich University of the Arts
MAS in Curating
Curatorial studies and a Master's degree — developing a rigorous sensitivity to form, material, context and the critical frameworks that inform all creative practice.
specialist
Joëlle Swanet
Slow Throwing · Glaze Chemistry
Training in the Slow Throwing method — a breath- and awareness-based approach to wheel throwing — and in advanced glaze chemistry and raw material formulation.
specialist
Eric Swanet
Glaze Chemistry
Deep technical training in glaze formulation from raw materials — stability, food safety, colourant behaviour and the science behind ceramic surface development.
specialist
Lauriane Firoben
Paper kiln firing
Training in paper kiln firing — a technique using a combustible structure to create distinctive surface effects through smoke, heat and controlled atmosphere.
specialist
Barbara Wagner
Pit firing
Training in pit firing — working directly with earth, organic materials and fire to produce unpredictable, deeply individual surface results through primitive firing techniques.
2022 -
Ming Shan Academy
Classical Taoist Studies
Ongoing study of BaZi, Qi Men Dun Jia, Yi Jing and Feng Shui — approached as analytical tools for understanding timing, dynamics and decision processes.
Qi Gong
Embodied practice
An ongoing Qi Gong practice directly informs the teaching approach at Clay & Tao — particularly in relation to posture, breath, rhythm and the quality of attention brought to physical technique. These are not separate disciplines: they share the same principles.
4 years as gallery founder
A curator's eye
Running a gallery dedicated to emerging artists in Switzerland shaped a rigorous way of seeing — form, spatial relationships, material intention, cultural context. This perspective is present in every aspect of how the studio approaches ceramic practice and creative development.
Continuous research
10+ years of studio practice
Beyond formal training, a decade of sustained studio research — in throwing, hand-building, glaze development, firing processes and teaching methodology — forms the real foundation of Clay & Tao's technical depth.
Who this is for
Two kinds of students.
One studio.
Complete beginners
Discovering clay for the first time
No experience needed — ever
Step-by-step guidance from the very first session
A calm, non-judgmental environment to experiment
Progress at your own pace, on your own schedule
Leave your first session with pieces you made yourself
Experienced students
Deepening an existing practice
Precision-based wheel approach for real technical refinement
Glaze exploration with studio-made, lab-tested formulas
Individual guidance adapted to your existing level
Access to primitive and pit firing techniques
A serious environment for sustained, long-term development
Ready to begin?
Experience the approach
for yourself.
The best way to understand what makes Clay & Tao different is to come in. Your first session takes 2 hours — no experience needed, no commitment beyond the session.
Max. 4 spots · 500g clay & glaze included · All levels · EN / DE / FR / IT