It Starts With Clay

Caroline Umali, the maker behind It Starts With Clay, makes both functional and decorative ceramic pieces from a humble pottery wheel; all of which are ideal for the home. Using both stoneware and porcelain clay, her pieces focus on clean shapes with simple glazes; and a growing interest in surface decoration and texture with oxides and underglazes.

Having worked in the tech industry for most of her career, and following a taster pottery class; ‘It Starts With Clay’ came to fruition in 2017. In contrast to a fast paced day job, the making in a collective studio in Chiswick slowly progressed into a small and slow batch making process, resulting in her items being sold in independent markets throughout the year.