Once upon a time, an architect was busy designing buildings with bricks of clay in bustling cities like Bombay and San Francisco. After a solid run, he took a detour to Pondicherry, where he stumbled upon actual clay and had a “this is it!” moment. Architecture was out, and pottery was in.

Now, instead of designing with bricks, he designs with bags of clay—same job, just a tad smaller scale! Tucked away in the forests of Auroville, he runs a happening little studio, Mandala Pottery. He is riding the cool “handmade” wave in India, creating signature tableware for chic cafes and boutiques, and making friends with their best customers along the way.

But it’s not all pots and pans. This artist also creates massive clay paintings and sculptural pieces, which he then dramatically offers up to the “kiln-gods,” loving the surprise of how they’ll turn out. Clay has become his passport to travel the world for exhibitions and residencies.

So, what’s the story behind the unique designs? The artist is a Parsi Zoroastrian, a community with a fascinating history of escaping Persia and settling in India thousands of years ago. Feeling a bit sad that his heritage (and taste in classic rock!) might fade away with their dwindling community, he decided to bake it into their art.

And guess what? People love it! Platters with ancient symbols and modern takes on ceremonial objects are flying off the shelves, becoming new-age heirlooms. Now, he is dreaming of creating a giant, backlit porcelain mural of traditional Parsi chalk designs. He just needs a benefactor to help make it happen. After all, for a fire-worshipping people, playing with a 1300°C kiln is just another day at the office!

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