Pottery Classes in Zurich
Create your first pieces or refine your technique — and build real confidence with clay.
Learn ceramics in a calm studio designed for both discovery and real progression.
Small groups (max. 4) · Clear guidance · All levels welcome
Start with your first session
Discover pottery in Zurich
This 2-hour pottery session is a gentle introduction to working with clay in a calm, small-group ceramic studio in Zurich.
Designed for beginners, it offers a first experience of shaping clay and understanding the making process in a focused and supportive environment.
What you will explore
During the session, you will be guided through:
Basic hand-building techniques
Working with clay: form, texture and structure
Creating a simple ceramic piece (cup, bowl or small form)
Understanding the process from making to firing
Wheel throwing may be explored if you already have prior experience.
A first experience with clay
This session is ideal if you want to:
try pottery for the first time
enjoy a creative experience in Zurich
discover the Clay & Tao studio
It’s enjoyable from the start — and becomes more natural and fluid over time.
What happens after your session
Your piece will be dried, glazed and fired by the studio.
Once ready, you will be invited to collect your finished ceramic piece.
What is included
All tools and materials
500g of clay (enough to create a piece such as a cup, bowl or similar form within your session)
Glazing and firing
Additional material or specific requests may incur extra costs.
Studio in Zurich
Clay & Tao is a calm, light-filled ceramic studio in Zurich dedicated to attentive and grounded practice.
Sessions take place in small groups (max. 4 participants), allowing for individual guidance.
Booking
After purchase, you will receive a code to book your sessions online at no additional cost. Sessions can be booked online following your availabilities.
Create your first ceramic pieces in a calm, guided studio environment.
A simple and satisfying first experience with clay.
During this session, you will:
create your first pieces
learn essential techniques
discover the studio and its approach
No experience needed Includes materials and firing Limited spots (max. 4 per session)Continue Your Practice
After your first session, you can continue at your own rhythm.
Continue after your first session
This 3-session ceramic practice pack is designed for those who want to continue after a first experience and spend more time working with clay.
It offers a simple way to return to the studio and begin developing familiarity with the material.
Sessions take place in a small-group ceramic studio in Zurich (max. 4 participants), allowing for individual guidance and a calm working environment.
What you will explore
Over several sessions, you can:
Continue hand-building and shaping forms
Refine your understanding of clay, texture and structure
Begin to explore wheel throwing (after introduction)
Experience the process from making to finished piece
How it evolves
It’s enjoyable from the start — and becomes more natural and fluid over time.
With a few sessions, you begin to:
feel more comfortable with the material
gain more control in your gestures
understand the process more clearly
A simple way to continue
Flexible booking based on your schedule
Most people come once a week or every two weeks
Valid for 3 months
Studio in Zurich
Clay & Tao is a calm, light-filled ceramic studio in Zurich focused on attentive and grounded practice.
Small groups (max. 4 participants) ensure a quiet environment and individual guidance.
Clay & materials
Clay is charged depending on usage.
Most people typically spend around CHF 5–15 per session on clay.
This allows flexibility depending on what you choose to make, while keeping the system fair for everyone.
Booking
After purchase, you will receive a code to book your sessions online at no additional cost. Sessions can be booked online following your availabilities.
A progressive introduction designed to help you build real confidence with clay.
Over three sessions, you will:
develop familiarity with tools, materials and process
strengthen essential techniques through guided repetition
begin refining your gestures and control
Ideal if you want more than a one-time experience
Develop your ceramic practice
Continue building your skills through regular, guided practice.
Most students continue after their first session
Build a consistent ceramic practice in Zurich
This 10-hour ceramic practice pack is designed for those who want to move beyond occasional sessions and develop a regular, sustained relationship with clay. Working in a small-group pottery studio in Zurich (max. 4 participants), you benefit from individual guidance while maintaining the freedom to explore your own rhythm and direction.
What you can explore
Depending on your level and interests, you can work with:
Hand-building (coil, slab, sculptural forms)
Wheel throwing (after introduction)
Surface work, glazing and finishing
Understanding clay, form and firing processes
What develops over time
With regular practice, you begin to:refine your gestures and techniques develop consistency in your work create more intentional and finished pieces gradually develop your own style
Why longer practice matters
Working with clay is a gradual process. Over multiple sessions, the material becomes more familiar, your movements more precise, and the experience more rewarding. This is where a true ceramic practice begins.
Flexible practice rhythm
Book sessions according to your scheduleIdeal for weekly or bi-weekly practice. Valid for 4 months
Studio in Zurich
Clay & Tao is a calm, light-filled ceramic studio in Zurich dedicated to focused and attentive practice.Small groups ensure a quiet environment and meaningful progression.
Booking
After purchase, you will receive a code to book your sessions online at no additional cost. Sessions can be booked online following your availabilities.
Build consistency and strengthen your technique through regular practice.
Build a consistent ceramic practice in Zurich
This 20-hour ceramic practice pack is designed for those who want to move beyond occasional sessions and develop a regular, sustained relationship with clay.
Working in a small-group pottery studio in Zurich (max. 4 participants), you benefit from individual guidance while maintaining the freedom to explore your own rhythm and direction.
What you can explore
Depending on your level and interests, you can work with:
Hand-building (coil, slab, sculptural forms)
Wheel throwing (after introduction)
Surface work, glazing and finishing
Understanding clay, form and firing processes
What develops over time
With regular practice, you begin to:
refine your gestures and techniques
develop consistency in your work
create more intentional and finished pieces
gradually develop your own style
Why longer practice matters
Working with clay is a gradual process.
Over multiple sessions, the material becomes more familiar, your movements more precise, and the experience more rewarding.
This is where a true ceramic practice begins.
Flexible practice rhythm
Book sessions according to your schedule
Ideal for weekly or bi-weekly practice
Valid for 6 months
Studio in Zurich
Clay & Tao is a calm, light-filled ceramic studio in Zurich dedicated to focused and attentive practice.
Small groups ensure a quiet environment and meaningful progression.
Booking
After purchase, you will receive a code to book your sessions online at no additional cost. Sessions can be booked online following your availabilities.
Most chosen format
Develop deeper control, confidence and visible progress over time.
Ideal for those who want to truly progress
Discover wheel throwing
Learn the wheel through a grounded and attentive approach, rarely taught in Switzerland.
This method focuses on:
stability and control
ergonomics and efficient body use
working with breath rather than force
sensitivity to movement and clay
the ability to work with larger forms earlier in the process
Unlike most short introductions, this Grounded Wheel Approach is taught progressively to reduce frustration and support real learning.
For this reason, access to the wheel is offered through a structured pathway combined with a practice pack, ensuring you have the time and guidance needed to develop confidence.
Many students find this approach significantly improves both their progress and their experience of the wheel.
This pathway is designed for those wishing to begin wheel throwing through a technically grounded and sustained approach.
Participants start with a private session dedicated to posture, clay centring and structural control. This initial work is then integrated into regular studio practice through a 10-hour ceramic practice pack.
At Clay & Tao, wheel throwing is taught through a deliberately slower methodology that prioritises stability, precision and embodied control rather than speed or force. This approach — rarely taught in Switzerland — supports deeper technical understanding and more consistent long-term progression.
Rather than offering isolated pottery experiences, the studio introduces wheel throwing as a discipline that unfolds through repetition, attentive movement and material intelligence.
This format supports the development of technical confidence, structural sensitivity and a more grounded relationship to the wheel.
Includes
– One private wheel session (120 minutes)
– Foundations of clay centring and postural alignment
– A precision-focused and ergonomically informed wheel approach
– Individual technical guidance adapted to your level
– A 10-hour ceramic practice pack for integration
Wheel throwing is available only within continuity of practice.
The Wheel Pathway is valid for 3 months to support technical integration and continuity of practice. Extensions may be granted in exceptional circumstances.
For existing students
If you already hold a 10 or 20-hour practice pack and wish to begin wheel throwing, please contact the studio directly.
Booking your wheel throwing pathway
After purchase, you will be invited to schedule your private lesson according to mutual availability.
→ Begin your wheel throwing practice
FAQ
Can beginners take wheel throwing classes at Clay & Tao?
Yes. This pathway is specifically designed for beginners wishing to learn wheel throwing in a structured and supportive ceramic studio environment.
Is this a one-time pottery class?
No. The wheel introduction is part of a sustained ceramic practice and includes a 10-hour pack to allow proper technical integration.
Where is the ceramic studio located?
Clay & Tao is a small-group ceramic studio based in Zurich.
How many participants are in regular classes?
Regular sessions include a maximum of four participants to ensure personalised guidance.
Seasonal ceramics workshops
A series of seasonal ceramic workshops offer focused moments of immersion throughout the year, complementing regular studio practice.
Over time, participants develop not only technical skills but also a coherent and personal relationship to making.
Small groups, real guidance
Classes are limited to four participants, allowing close individual attention and meaningful progression.
Most students begin with an introductory session before moving into a regular rhythm of practice through hour-packs.
Most participants continue into regular practice after their first session.
Private & Group Ceramic Experiences
Clay & Tao offers small-scale ceramic sessions for private groups, creative teams or special occasions.
These experiences focus on hand-building practices, allowing participants to engage with clay in a calm and supportive studio environment.
Wheel throwing is introduced within the context of ongoing practice and is therefore not included in private group sessions.
To discuss a private event or group booking, please contact the studio directly.
A broader perspective on practice
The studio’s approach is subtly informed by Taoist perspectives on rhythm, timing and transformation.
For some participants, optional consultations offer an additional layer of reflection that complements studio learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Most students start with no prior experience. Classes are designed to help beginners build strong foundations while also supporting intermediate and advanced makers.
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Small groups (max. 4 participants) allow closer guidance, faster technical progress and a calm, focused studio atmosphere.
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Teaching combines wheel throwing, hand-building and glazing in a calm, focused environment, with a distinctive slow approach to wheel work that supports greater stability, precision and confidence over time.
The studio also develops and tests its own glazes, ensuring stable, food-safe results and a deeper understanding of material behaviour. -
Wheel throwing requires continuity to become both enjoyable and technically meaningful. The Wheel Pathway ensures students have the time and support needed to build confidence and avoid early frustration.
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Practice packs support consistent learning and real technical progress. Regular engagement helps students move beyond introductory experiences and develop stronger skills over time.
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Yes. Packs are designed to encourage continuity, which is essential for confident progress.
10-hour packs are typically used within 4 months, and 20-hour packs within 6 months. -
Regular practice supports faster progress, but scheduling remains flexible. Most students establish a weekly rhythm that fits their professional and personal life.
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Classes are available in English, German, French and Italian.
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Yes. Introductory sessions are designed as a first encounter with the studio. Many students choose to continue once they experience the benefits of regular practice.
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Clay & Tao offers pottery classes in Zürich Oerlikon, easily accessible by public transport.