Mitti & Mind shapes ceramics that feel as organic as the stories they hold.
1. Tell us a little about yourself—who you are, what you do, and how art became a part of your journey.
I’m Aastha, formerly a full time film and TV creative who found her way back to herself through clay. After a decade of living inside scripts, sets and meeting rooms, pottery arrived in my life as a grounding force. Today, I run Mitti & Mind, a ceramic studio in Gurgaon where I design and handcraft small-batch pieces, and hold workshops that bring people into the slow, honest world of making. Clay allowed me to rebuild my life with my hands, one imperfect, heartfelt piece at a time.
2. Art isn’t just something we see—it’s something we live with. How does art seep into your daily life? And what does art mean to you?
Art lives around me constantly and quietly. It can be in the way clouds whisp along the sky, the colours of the season, the rhythm of wedging clay, and even in conversations with friends or strangers that leave a deep mark. For me, art isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence and finding beauty in the everyday - in the small, the slow, the real. Art is how I process life, how I stay grounded, and how I connect - with myself and with others.
3. Why do you think handcrafted art matters today more than ever?
Because we’re starved for human touch. In a world moving at algorithmic speed, handcrafted art offers what machines can’t - intention, emotion, irregularity, story. A handmade object holds someone’s time, breath, mood, and care. It slows you down. It reminds you that beauty can be imperfect and still worthy. Today, when everything can be mass-produced, choosing handmade becomes an act of love, respect, of cherishing moments, and a return to what feels real.
4. How many years have you been practicing this craft?
I’ve been practicing pottery for about a few years now, long enough to know that clay humbles you endlessly, and recent enough that every day still feels like discovery. The learning never stops. If anything, clay teaches you patience before it teaches you skill.
5. What makes an artist an artist? (like who can call themselves an artist/what counts as being an artist)
An artist is someone who pays attention- deeply, consistently, vulnerably. To me it’s not about titles, degrees, or techniques. It’s about the courage to express, to experiment, to fail publicly, to reveal a piece of yourself in what you make. If creating is the way you make sense of the world - and you are honest about it - you’re an artist.
6. What does being an artist/brand that sells art mean to you?
For me, selling art isn’t always about transactions - it’s about trust. Someone chooses to bring something I made into their home, their rituals, their daily life. That’s intimate. As a brand, I try to honour that by staying authentic, small-batch, and human-first. I love that a unique piece I make exists only in one home, with one person and (hopefully) is not replicated with anyone else, unlike machine made items. Being an artist who sells is also about balancing creativity with responsibility - being selective about not putting out rubbish into the world and only what means something to me in some way, truly.
7. How long does it usually take to create one piece from start to finish?
Depending on the form, a single piece can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. Clay demands time & patience ; from throwing, trimming, drying, bisque firing, glazing, glaze firing. And in between, you wait. And hope - for the best! The piece decides its own pace, not me.
8. What drew you to the medium(s) you work with?
Clay met me at a time when I needed grounding. Something about its earthiness, its honesty, its unwillingness to be rushed felt exactly what I needed. Every touch leaves a mark, every mistake becomes a lesson, every piece carries your energy. It’s the closest I’ve come to a dialogue with a material. It’s what is most intuitive and expressive. And the piece - good, bad, ugly - is truly mine! Until it isn’t.
9. How do you see art products being perceived in an Indian market?
The Indian market is evolving slowly yet surely. People are valuing craftsmanship again - seeking pieces that feel personal, not mass-produced. There’s growing appreciation for independent artists, but also a need for more awareness about the labour, skill, and time that go into handcrafted work. We’re at an interesting moment where consumers are looking at “what’s the story?” However the market is still quite price conscious, which is due to multiple factors and to a large extent, awareness of the process and the effort behind the scenes could help the matter, I believe.
10. What’s a misconception people have about your craft?
That it’s easy and quick! Thanks to Instagram reels that show pots being made in mere seconds. In reality,it’s a slow dance of physics, chemistry, temperature, patience, and skill. Most of the magic - and struggle - happens backstage: drying, glazing, firing, facing kiln surprises, and starting again. I’ve once had to work on a piece 7 times to get it just right!
11. What’s a skill in your craft that took you years to perfect?
Gosh! Centering the clay - not just physically but mentally. Technically, centering on the wheel is one of the hardest skills to master. But emotionally, learning to steady myself before I touch the clay is still going on. Pottery mirrors your mind. The day your breath steadies, the clay follows. To this day - if I’m shaky, nervous, distracted - it shows in my work.
12. Can you walk us through your creative process? When you begin a new piece, what sparks the first impulse? Is it the story, the emotion, or the material itself?
My process always begins with a feeling - an emotion, a memory, a texture in nature, a colour I can’t get out of my head. I am not great at sketching so I sketch loosely, but the real decisions happen at the wheel. I let the form emerge rather than forcing it. Once the shape exists, I think about how it should live - its glaze, its balance, its use, its mood. The process is largely intuitive, but always meditative.
13. Many of your pieces, like Haldi Phool Platter, Ocean Core RIng Dishes or the Rugged Earth Vase (and many others) carry organic silhouettes and natural palettes. What role does nature play in your creative process?
Nature is my quiet collaborator. It’s my biggest source of inspiration - the colour tones, the fluidity of forms, the possibilities of function or decorative patterns, the textures - all rooted in landscapes I have visited or reside in. My forms borrow from mountains, coastlines, raw soil, dried leaves, bright landscaped and the many moods of natural spaces. Nature reminds me that everything has an interesting fluid imperfectly perfect form to it through which it breathes. I try to bring that aspect into my work.
14. Tell us about the history of ceramics. How was the historical approach different from the contemporary approach, if at all. And how do you navigate it?
Ceramics is one of humanity’s oldest crafts - born from earth, fire, and our need to store, serve, and express. Historically, pottery was functional, communal, and rooted deeply in cultural identity. Contemporary ceramics carries the same foundation but with more freedom. Artists now blend tradition with experimentation, emotion, and design. I try to honour the lineage while allowing myself space to play. My work holds the nostalgia of the old and the fun of the new.
15. Is there a song that captures the spirit of your work or something you love listening to while creating?
“Holocene” by Bon Iver often feels like the rhythm of my studio - soft, grounded, expansive. It reminds me that we are small yet significant, just like handmade objects. Even “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey encapsulates holding onto hope and perseverance which is what the entire process of making is about, ultimately.
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