Inside the warm, earthy space of OneEarth Pottery, the aroma of freshly whisked matcha mingled perfectly with the ceramic pieces. The recent pop-up brought together two crafts that share a deep connection with patience and process. For Sowmya T, founder of OneEarth Pottery, and Aditi Raj Lavte, founder of MatChéri Tearoom, the collaboration felt natural, almost inevitable, as both practices celebrate slowing down and appreciating the art of making.
The idea for the pop-up emerged in the most organic way, rooted in the teacher-student bond between the two. Recalling how it all began, Aditi explains, “As Sowmya’s student, I had been coming to learn pottery for about four to five months. She once suggested, ‘Aditi, why don’t you do a pop-up here at this place?’, and I replied, ‘Why don’t we add a ceramic element as well’. And, it came together naturally because ceramics and matcha go well together.”
For Aditi, the journey into matcha began during her time studying abroad, where curiosity slowly turned into passion. Speaking about how she first discovered it, she says, “I was in the US studying when I got deeply interested in matcha and other Chinese and Japanese teas, so I began reading about their history and learning more. I found it fascinating and realised this was something I wanted to pursue, therefore I decided not to take up an IT job despite studying it.”
For Sowmya, clay entered her life through architecture but soon became something much more meaningful. Reflecting on how pottery grew from a hobby into a full-time practise, she reflects, “I’m an architect, and I run an architecture cum pottery studio. It started as a hobby, and once you touch clay, you cannot go back because the clay truly got me. I began making pottery at home, then moved to a studio and started teaching classes. It has now been four years, and I have travelled to Japan, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, where I learned from many places. During this time, I met Aditi, whose matcha tasted almost the same as what I tried in Japan, so I wanted people to experience it.”
Yet behind every ceramic piece lies a long and demanding journey that requires time and patience. Describing the process and its challenges, Sowmya highlights, “When I make a pot, it is still not ceramic because it goes through many stages. First, I prep the clay, centre it on the wheel, then shape and trim it, and let it dry for one to two weeks because rushing can make it crack or break. After drying comes the first firing, then glazing and the second firing, and the entire process takes about a month, with each step demanding patience, especially during tight timelines like pop-ups, because rushing means the pots may break or not turn out as intended.”
Matcha, on the other hand, offers a different kind of calm. Describing the experience of brewing tea, Aditi explains, “Matcha, for me, is always about patience, and it brings a sense of relaxation. When I am doing pottery, I often feel stressed because I keep thinking about the result and whether the pot might break or turn out differently. However, when I make matcha or brew any kind of tea, it gives a very calm, zen feeling.” Aditi further adds, “When I drink matcha or teas like Hōjicha, Gyokuro, Oolong and Chinese teas, the brewing feels very relaxing because there is music, hot water, leaves, and ceramics, which is why tea and ceramics go back to the first century.”
As the pop-up drew people curious about both ceramics and tea, it also offered something deeper than just a tasting or a display. In a fast-moving world, the collaboration reminds visitors that some crafts cannot be rushed, and that sometimes the most meaningful experiences come from slowing down, whether it is shaping clay on a wheel or whisking a bowl of matcha by hand.