Late summer has a way of making the light in the workshop feel deeper. The wheel turns, it gets cooler outside, and your hands yearn for clay again. It's the time of year to start something new.
From the end of August to December 2026, a selection of guest mentors will be coming and going at db pottery. Each one brings their own style and technique—and you'll be right there next to them, learning how to work with clay. You can find the entire course series here, but first let's talk about the people who teach them.
This season's guest artists (guest mentors)
It begins Laurin Schaub, award-winning Swiss ceramicist who works exactly where craftsmanship and technology collide — mixing glazes, reading firing curves, testing materials until they do what he wants. Kristina Mar He brings with him Kintsugi, the Japanese art of emphasizing fractures with gold instead of hiding them; born in Portugal, at home in Kyoto, with a 400-year-old craft in his luggage. Marcel Krummenacher Studio Sediment casts porcelain — functional shapes, cleanly removed from the plaster mold.
Then comes the color. Attua Aparicio melts colored glass onto ceramic until the surface glows. Andrea Roman works with colored clay and clean lines — tableware made for the breakfast table, not for the display case. Jaejun Lee brings the Korean throwing tradition of precision to our discs with its moon-shaped jugs. Thomas Legler Arché Studio digs into local soils and thinks in larger forms. And Arjan van Dal, A Dutch ceramicist based in London, he polishes colored porcelain to silky-matte, rich surfaces. Eight names, eight styles—and if you already follow one of them on social media, you know why the trip is worth it.
At a glance
Sixteen sessions, arranged chronologically — from the first glazing evening in August to Arjan's colored porcelain in November. Each course name leads directly to the booking page.
| Date | Guest artist: | course | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Wed, Aug 12 | Laurin Schaub | Glazing Workshop | Some experience with ceramics and ready-mixed glazes |
| Sat–Sun, Aug 29–30 | Kristina Mar | Kintsugi | Beginners; a broken favorite item |
| Fri, Sept 4 | Marcel Krummenacher | Porcelain casting | Beginners; additional dates available |
| Fri, Sept 18 | Attua Aparicio | Glass on Ceramics | Everyone, including children; a relaxed afternoon (drop-in) |
| Sat, Sept 19 | Attua Aparicio | Mirror, Mirror | Beginners; one day, one finished mirror |
| Fri, 25 Sept | Andrea Roman | Clay Collages | All levels; Color & Collage (Drop-in) |
| Sat–Sun, 26–27 Sept | Andrea Roman | Clay X Breakfast | Experienced at the turntable; a weekend at the turntable |
| Thu–Sun, Oct 1–4 | Jaejun Lee | Moon Jars | Advanced; four days of precision turning |
| From Thursday, October 15th | Thomas Legler | Scale-Up | Some experience with the disc; turn it larger. |
| Fri, Oct 16 | Marcel Krummenacher | Porcelain casting | Beginners; additional dates available |
| 8 Fridays starting October 23rd | Laurin Schaub | Ceramic technology | Ambitious amateurs; diving deep (in German) |
| From Wed, Oct 28 | Laurin Schaub | Glazing Workshop | Some experience with ceramics and ready-mixed glazes |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Arjan van Dal | Natural Gradient Plates | Beginners & advanced students; natural tones |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Marcel Krummenacher | Porcelain casting | Beginners; additional dates available |
| Sat, Nov 7 | Arjan van Dal | Gradient plates, vibrant colors | Beginners & advanced users; light ombré plates |
| Sun, Nov 8 | Arjan van Dal | Funky Patterns | Experience on the turntable is required; paint on the wheel. |
How much time do you have?
Sometimes it's not your skill level that matters, but your schedule. Choose how much time you have — the rest will fall into place.
One afternoon
Just drop by, without any preparation. Glass on Ceramics With Attua Aparicio (no prior knowledge required, children welcome), for CHF 40 you will place colored glass onto a pre-fired porcelain plate, which we will then fuse together to create your wall art piece. And Clay Collages Andrea Roman's class (all levels) begins with a design on paper and then moves to colored clay. Both are drop-in. Both are great for beginners and for pottery sessions with friends or family.
A session
A single, entire session. Mirror, Mirror (no prior knowledge required), in which you build a ceramic mirror frame and melt glass into the surface during firing. Porcelain casting With the Studio Sediment (beginners), three objects made of white and colored porcelain were cast into the plaster mold. Arjans both Gradient Plates — some in natural tones, others in vibrant pigments (beginners & advanced students), built up from slabs to create ombré plates. And Funky Patterns (Some experience on the potter's wheel is required), colored porcelain cylinders on the wheel, striped and block-patterned.
A weekend
Two to four days, completely immersed. Kintsugi With Kristina Mar (beginner-friendly), you will repair a broken piece with urushi lacquer and gold — we will teach you the approximately ten-day curing process at home, and Kristina will bring antique Kyoto-yaki pieces to look at. Clay X Breakfast Andrea Roman (experience at the wheel is required) is making a six-piece breakfast set in colored stoneware. Moon Jars With Jaejun Lee (advanced, prior turning experience required) are four days of Korean precision turning. And Arjan's Friday-to-Sunday trio He strings together three of his courses.
A weekend. You live here and have time.
If you want to delve deeper — it's best if you can easily reach Zurich by train. These courses run for several days or weeks. Scale-Up With Thomas Legler (who has some experience with the wheel), he works over three evenings, lifting up to 5 kg of clay onto the wheel: larger bowls, larger vases, it's all a question of stability and wall thickness. Glazing Workshop With Laurin Schaub (who has some experience with ceramics and ready-made glazes), the workshop runs over three evenings across three weeks — you develop, test, and refine your own glazes and glaze your own biscuit pieces. And the Ceramic technology, also with Laurin (ambitious amateurs, in German), takes place over eight Fridays from October to December — clay masses, slip, glazes, firing, plus a wood firing in Laurin's studio in Büren zum Hof and at the end an in-house certificate.
And because that's the most frequently asked question: Most of the finished pieces are fired by us and are ready for collection about four weeks later. Clay takes time. That's part of the process.
Make it a weekend!
And now the real reason to travel here. Several guest mentors teach on consecutive days—you can combine them into a single trip.
- An Attua weekend (in the middle of Zurich Design Weeks): Glass on Ceramics on Friday, September 18, and Mirror, Mirror on Saturday, September 19 — two beginner-friendly days full of color and glass.
- An Andrea Roman weekend (also during Zurich Design Weeks): Clay Collages on Friday, September 25, then Clay X Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, September 26–27 — paint on Friday, the disc all weekend.
- A long weekend with Jaejun LeeMoon Jars, four days from Thursday to Sunday, October 1st-4th — that in itself is a getaway.
- An Arjan van Dal weekendNatural Gradient Plates on Friday, November 6th, strong Gradient Plates on Saturday, November 7th, and Funky Patterns on Sunday, November 8th — three days with a mentor, each day can also be booked individually.
And those are just the four most obvious choices. Take the table above and create your own weekend from two consecutive dates that appeal to you.
We recommend the 25hours Hotel as accommodation. 25hours West It is about a ten-minute walk from the studio; those who prefer a more lively atmosphere and closer to the nightlife should choose the house on the Langstrasse. Our studio at Schiffbaustrasse 9a is easily accessible from both locations.
And if you already live in Zurich or anywhere in Switzerland and actually you Are you the one who needs a getaway? Then turn it around. db also offers ceramics retreats abroad — in Morocco, Tyrol and Andalusia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior experience?
Most guest workshops welcome beginners — Kintsugi, Glass on Ceramics, Clay Collages, Porcelain Casting, and both Gradient Plates days require no prior knowledge. A few require experience on the potter's wheel: Clay X Breakfast, Moon Jars (advanced), Scale-Up, and Funky Patterns. The table above lists the requirements for each workshop.
In which language are the courses held?
Most guest workshops welcome beginners — Kintsugi, Glass on Ceramics, Clay Collages, Porcelain Casting, and both Gradient Plates days require no prior knowledge. A few require experience on the potter's wheel: Clay X Breakfast, Moon Jars (advanced), Scale-Up, and Funky Patterns. The table above lists the requirements for each workshop.
When will I receive my finished pieces?
We burn them after the course — they are ready for collection about four weeks later.
See you in the studio!
Whether you drop by for an afternoon or plan a whole weekend of recording in Zurich — there's room for you in our studio.
We're excited to see you in the studio! 🧡
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