They were engineering students at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan and had joined the university’s pottery club. Weekends were spent making pottery and helping their teacher.
They soon fell in love with the craft – and with each other.
In 2020, they founded their brand Two Potters and began selling functional pieces such as mugs, cups, bowls and vases. They subsequently got married and started a pottery studio in Tan’s Terengganu hometown.
Browsing their online store today, it is hard not to be charmed by their exquisitely handcrafted pieces, which make lovely home-decor items.
Tan, 29, said they usually use stoneware and porcelain to make their wares, of which their bestsellers are those created using the “Nerikomi” method. This Japanese technique involves creating pottery with multiple colours of clay.
“We are inspired by nature and try to incorporate its beauty into our work, be it in the colour, texture or form. We also get new ideas by experimenting. Failure always teaches us lessons,” she told FMT Lifestyle.
Pottery, as one might imagine, requires much patience and attention to detail. They begin by preparing the clay before shaping it with their hands or through wheel-throwing, the process of shaping the clay on the potter’s wheel.
Next, the foot of the piece is trimmed to give it stability before it is put through a bisque-firing process to transform it into a durable and porous state.
Glaze is subsequently applied. According to Tan, they have their own glaze recipes that do not include toxic materials such as barium and lead.
The piece then goes through another firing process for the glaze to melt and form a glassy coat.
For Wu, there is always an element of surprise in opening the kiln after firing. “We fire it at very high temperatures and it is the riskiest part in the whole process,” said the 25-year-old. For example, if the pieces are not arranged properly, they could end up sticking together.
“The firing process is very unpredictable. We would not know exactly how it looks after firing,” Tan chimed in.
Apart from making new pieces from scratch, Tan and Wu also repair broken pottery using the “Kintsugi|” method. This is a traditional Japanese technique of piecing together broken pieces and giving a piece new life with lacquer and a metal powder such as gold and silver.
Today, apart from Malaysians, Two Potters has customers from as far away as Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States.
To share their knowledge, Tan said they used to hold workshops and are planning to resume this in the future.
And in a continuous effort to reach a wider audience, they appreciate the assistance of Persatuan Pembangunan Artisans (PPA), an NGO that helps local artisans market their products through its online platform, physical stores and pop-up events.
“It’s a privilege to have our work at PPA, especially as they have strategic locations for their physical stores. They help us to get more exposure,” said Tan.
As for what keeps them going, she added: “We would not have been able to turn our hobby into a business without the support of our families, customers and students from our workshops.
“We are grateful for every single purchase and will continue to improve to uphold this trust.”
Visit Two Potters’ online store. For custom orders or enquiries, send them a message via Facebook or Instagram.
Read more PPA stories and get to know its artisans here.