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Gopi Shah is a Los Angeles native who started her ceramics business in Austin, Texas in 2014. Having recently
returned to California to set up shop in the San Francisco Bay Area, Gopi talks about her experiences living in
these cities and her day-to-day studio process. From making wheel-thrown cups and bowls, to the creation of her
signature worry dolls and clay people, Gopi hand-crafts each piece that she later sells at local fairs and boutiques.

How did you begin as a batik, tie dye, and bògòlanfini
ceramicist? (Malian mud cloth). It is interesting
I began working with clay in high to learn about these fabric dyeing
school under an inspiring teacher, processes. Sometimes these
John Luebtow, who allows his techniques translate well to clay:
students to be experimental. batik patterns are created with
Learning under a teacher like a wax-resist technique on fabric,
him motivated me to stretch the and a there are similar wax-resist
boundaries of clay. techniques that can create
Later, I studied at the School patterns in clay. You can’t wring a
of the Museum of Fine Arts in pot to create a tie dye effect like
Boston, and then took classes you can with fabric, but you can
at Santa Monica College in experiment with glaze chemistry,
California while working at an hand painting, or sponging.
environmental non-profit. When
my partner and I moved from my TELL US ABOUT YOUR STUDIO
hometown of L.A. to Austin 2014, AND YOUR DAILY ROUTINE.
he encouraged me to pursue my My current studio is a beautiful
passion of the ceramic arts. In double-wide garage with roll
Austin I worked under my current up doors in sunny San Rafael,
mentor, Jennifer Prichard, and located 30 minutes north of San
that first year of my business was a Francisco. I usually arrive at the gopi working on the ceramic
time of exponential learning and studio around 9 or 10 AM and
growth. In 2015 I started pursuing work until the sun starts to fade.
my business full-time. San Rafael is a cute little town
that’s very walkable and friendly.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU? I can do all my business errands
Like many artists, I am inspired by and shopping locally, stopping
nearly everything: an overheard for a cup of coffee and a pastry
conversation, a deteriorating at a worker-owned co-op called
brick wall, a seemingly random Arizmendi Bakery.
pattern found in nature.
The ocean and mountains of
California are awe-inspiring. Being
in such close proximity to natural
wonders such as Big Sur, Yosemite,
and the Redwood National and
State Parks it is hard not to be
inspired by Mother Nature.
I really love textile patterns like