Applying glaze to the pottery after bisque firing. 

When Alvin Tan enrolled in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) in 1997, there were no ceramics studios in Singapore to speak of. Now you can Google and find maybe five or more, but at the time, it didn't look like Mr Tan – who was taking a course in ceramics and encouraged by lecturers who felt he had a real flair for it – would be able to do anything about his talent apart from keeping it as a hobby.

Now a lecturer himself who has taught ceramics at Nafa over the years, he's also the founder of The 8th Floor Creative Space, a studio-workshop space which specialises in ceramic art. He sees the pick-up in interest as a sign that "people no longer want to just spend, they want to pick up an experience, and to have a hobby", he says.

Steady hands are needed when trimming the clay.

His studio is supposedly the first in Singapore to implement a progress-monitoring system for its pottery courses. "I guess it is because of my academic background that my lessons are more structured," he explains. He keeps track of each student's pace and progress and says "students can see better results".

Courses are split into two phases. Each course costs S$450 for 10 three-hour long lessons. In the first phase, students learn to make domestic objects such as cups and bowls. In the second phase, they learn how to make decorative objects such as vases and pots.

Alvin Tan, founder of The 8th Floor Creative Space, enjoys passing on the techniques of ceramic art. 

Classes are kept to a maximum of eight, and basic lessons start with understanding the nature of clay, and finding their way around a pottery wheel. Students will learn how to handle and shape the clay, trim and glaze. It takes nearly two weeks to finish making an item, as the clay needs time to dry and is fired in the kiln twice.

Cup and saucer produced by a student. 

Learn how to make your own cups and small vessels. 

"Making an aesthetically pleasing looking piece takes about 90 per cent hard work, and 10 per cent talent," notes Mr Tan.

His students' projects aren't just for show – he wants them to take them home to use. "There is joy in using something that you've made, and at the same time, you know how to improve after you've used it personally," he explains.

Just like chef Teoh Min Jun, who has been taking lessons for the last three months, and goes twice a week. Ms Teoh, who is now on a break, began pottery lessons as she wanted to make items for use at the restaurant where she was working at. So far, she has made a few matcha bowls which the restaurant is using. "It is all about the skill, right, and you do need patience," she says.

the8thflr.com

This story was first published on The Business Times