(Seychelles News Agency) - Drawing inspirations from the natural beauty of Seychelles, an up and coming potter is reviving the art of pottery under the brand Seyramics. 

Zara Albert creates one-of-a-kind, handcrafted ceramic pieces, delicately sculpted and inspired by nature including the rich marine life of the islands’ waters.

“I work a lot on recreating pieces such as shells which we should not collect on the beach and pieces inspired by local leaves and flowers,” Albert said. The artist added, “I have the ‘Coco Fes’ fruit bowl, ‘Delicious Monster’ fruit bowl and ‘Octopus’ vase, just to name a few.”

Albert describes her work as modern pottery adding that it is not just about the decor, but about artistic crafts which have a purpose, like her ‘Coco de Mer’ burner for essential oils.

According to Albert, small scale production allows for each piece to be made just a few times, allowing her to consider other possibilities for designs, adding that custom pieces can be made with the clients’ designs.

For now, Albert runs Seyramics as a home base business at her studio at Machabee in the north of the main island of Mahe. (Zara Albert) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

“Pottery has many steps but the most important is the first step which is making sure there are no bubbles in the clay before starting on a piece. If there are, your piece might explode or break at a later time,” explained Albert, who started pottery years ago. It all began when she started taking pottery courses as a therapeutic means while overseas but slowly this grew into a passion.

“I wanted to bring my creations and skills back home to my island. From small favours for friends and word of mouth, my small passion turned into a business. I work alone as this is where I can use pottery as a form of relaxation and therapy while doing something, I am passionate about,” said Albert.

For now, Albert runs Seyramics as a home base business at her studio at Machabee in the north of the main island of Mahe. Her creations are available online on a made-to-order basis. Customised ceramic pieces can also be made upon request. Prices for the pieces range between $51 to $170. Seyramics products are also available in a few shops on Mahe. In the future, the entrepreneur also hopes to give pottery classes.

Albert describes her work as modern pottery adding that it is not just about the decor, but about artistic crafts which have a purpose, like her ‘Coco de Mer’ burner for essential oils. (Zara Albert) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

Pottery in Seychelles, 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, was once a thriving activity wherein the late 1990s there existed a Potters Cooperative (Seypot). Seypot had its factory where many creations were made. But over the years interest in this form of artwork has dwindled, with only a few people who are actively doing pottery.