How it all played out
First steps, i.e..
Beginning
I was born in 1986 in Warsaw, and my first memory is of clay – unrefined garden clay with a distinctive smell, clumps, and a reddish-yellow color. That doesn't mean I was already creating wonders with clay back then. The learning process was long.
2004
Starting a Pottery Journey
It all began during my first pottery wheel throwing class in Bieszczady, at the Barak Gallery. I remember the hesitation as I took my first steps in the workshop, yet at the same time, I felt an extraordinary excitement and anticipation. As soon as I sat at the wheel, I felt ready to discover a whole new world – a world where clay became an extension of my thoughts and emotions. As my hands gained skill and the wheel spun with my movements, I discovered the magic of creation – every wrinkle, every imperfect shape carried a unique story. From that moment, I knew that ceramics was more than just working with clay – it was a passion that allowed me to express myself, capture fleeting moments, and give them lasting form.
2009
Lessons with Mr. Stanisław Tworzydło
In 2009, I began studying with Mr. Stanisław Tworzydło – an outstanding ceramist whose passion and vast knowledge became a true inspiration for me. Each lesson was not only an opportunity to learn the secrets of ceramics but also a chance to immerse myself in the world of art, which became increasingly fascinating to me with each passing day.
2020
Pandemic
In 2022, when the pandemic broke out, everything stopped, and I suddenly found the space to fully immerse myself in creative work. Isolation became an opportunity for me to experiment, develop new techniques, and create without the pressure of everyday hustle and bustle. However, over time, even though my creativity flourished, I began to feel that I lacked adequate space to develop my ideas. This feeling of scarcity, both physical and mental space, prompted me to reflect on how important the environment is in the creative process.
2021
Opening of the first workshop
I'm very sentimental about places. The studio on Fleminga was a milestone for me. It literally changed my story ♡ It was here that I finally found a place where I could throw on the pottery wheel, sculpt, and glaze. To create, to do my thing. Here I met wonderful people, honed my craft, and ran workshops. It was here that I spread my wings. I outgrew this place and managed to open a new, bigger one. But I will always fondly remember my first studio - cold water in the tap, sun shining from all four sides, peace.
2024
Jagiellonian
In 2024, my husband and I decided to open Alike Pottery Studio – a workshop dedicated to setting new standards in the way ceramic studios conduct workshops. This nearly 200m² creative space aims to promote handicrafts and art, as well as serve as a "healing place" – somewhere to relax and meet other creators and pottery enthusiasts. Our experienced instructors, who help us realize this vision, are with us in creating such a place.
Our Studio in Numbers
creative space
potter's wheels
clay transferred per year
students per month
In the studio we have also developed classes not only in ceramics
New instructors and new classes
Watercolor
We invite you to a series of watercolor painting classes held at AliKe Pottery Studio. This is an excellent opportunity for both beginners and advanced artists who wish to develop their skills in this unique painting technique.
The workshops are led by Grzegorz Wróbel, a respected watercolorist with many years of artistic and pedagogical experience. His works can be seen at numerous exhibitions, and his teaching methods are ideal for exploring the secrets of watercolor – from basics to more advanced techniques.
Sculpture
My name is Kacper, and for the past 20 years, I've been passionate about working with clay. During this time, I've created many interesting pieces, met inspiring people, and had the opportunity to visit various art studios. My professional journey began with a technical education in ceramics, which I then expanded with a higher education in sculpture. This experience allowed me to gain a wide range of skills that I will gladly share with you during the workshops.
Special guests
Our studio invites artists from all over the world to jointly discover the magic of creation. We believe that the richness of cultures, experiences, and perspectives provides an invaluable foundation for inspiration that drives artistic development and opens new horizons.
This is a place where anyone who wishes to experiment with form and express themselves through art will find space to pursue their passions. Here, people with similar interests meet, which creates a unique atmosphere of collaboration and mutual support.
Our Instructors
The people who co-create Alike Pottery Studio.
Alicja Kędzierska
I was born in Warsaw in 1986, and my earliest memory is of clay, unrefined garden clay with its distinctive smell, lumps, and reddish-yellow color. That doesn't mean I was already creating wonders with clay back then. The learning process was long. I also had various detours from the path of ceramics. In 2011, I graduated with a degree in visual communication from the Academy of Art and Design in Łódź.
Grzegorz Wróbel
Grzegorz Wróbel was born in Warsaw in 1983. In 2002, he began his crucial studies at the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology. Although he had been interested in drawing and painting since childhood, he only developed his skills during his studies. That's when he discovered watercolor technique, and he continues to explore its secrets to this day. He decided to share his fascination with water-based paints with others, which he does by teaching at a private drawing school. It brings him great satisfaction to see that he can teach such a difficult technique to others and the joy it brings them. In watercolor, he primarily seeks light and how it can "paint" various things. Architecture has left a significant mark on his watercolor work. It taught him aesthetics, how to frame his pieces, and choose subjects. That's why his watercolors predominantly feature architecture, especially the architecture he himself has visited and experienced. Most of his works are remembered impressions, colors, and light from his travels. In this way, he has visited Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, Prague, Brno, Vienna, and Sicily. He very often paints from life, and he paints the remaining works from his own photographs. However, he has to divide his passion for watercolors with architecture, as he is an active architect. Nevertheless, he often uses his skills in his work, thus combining both passions, which yields interesting results. He has not yet learned to combine watercolors with music, which he has been involved with for several years as a composer, but he believes that the time for that will come.
Michalina Stopnicka-Kaczor
She has been creating for as long as she can remember. She can't count how many techniques she has tried in her life or how many different creative tools she has in her cupboards. If someone knows her personally and doesn't have something she made in their home, it simply means they haven't known each other long enough ;). When she lived in Italy, she was inspired by geometric decorations in ceramics and architecture and began recreating them by painting - on coasters, flowerpots, ceramics, and canvas. She collects photos of tiles, mosaics, decorations, and patterns on ceramics, and then recreates them with paints - sometimes in a very similar way, and sometimes completely changing the colors and experimenting with the pattern.
Piotr Dąbrowski
A graphic designer by education (W. Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź), and a gardener (SGGW in Warsaw). A graduate of the Ceramiq school in Warsaw. He has been involved in ceramics, and pottery in particular, since 2014. He has been conducting pottery workshops for 9 years at the Ceramiq studio, the Łucznica Academy, and AliKe Pottery Studio in Warsaw. In his life and teaching work, he is guided by Zen philosophy; he fosters an atmosphere of peace and support. In his creative work, he is mainly inspired by the art of Japan and Korea, constantly deepening his knowledge and technique. He throws both large forms and small, precise ceramics dedicated to tea ceremonies.
Oleg Nesterenko
A potter with 10 years of experience. In Minsk, Belarus, he ran his own ceramic studio and was a member of the Belarusian Union of Craft Artists. His work included reconstructive ceramics, orders for restaurants, creating vessels using Far Eastern techniques, and working with porcelain, all of which contribute to his exceptional proficiency in pottery.
Maria Badowska-Cabrera
She was born in 1979 in Warsaw and has been making pottery since childhood. For many years, she attended ceramics classes at the Palace of Youth, where Tadeusz Walter was her teacher. Under his guidance, she created her first cups, bowls, and platters.
Immediately after graduating from high school, she went to New York to study at Parsons School of Design, where she re-encountered ceramics, choosing wheel throwing as one of her subjects. There, she also learned the high-temperature reduction firing technique, around 1280 degrees C – cone 10 in a gas kiln, and fell in love with stoneware clay.
After graduating in New York, she lived in San Francisco, where from Monday to Friday she worked in the open studio Clay Studio, creating her pottery, mainly wheel-thrown. All her pottery was fired in a gas kiln at a high temperature. After her stay in the United States, she lived in the Dominican Republic and Spain, returning to Poland in 2009.
Her love for clay was rekindled in 2019 when she founded the brand Hopies Ceramics. She specializes in wheel throwing and hand-building functional ceramics. She draws inspiration from nature, and her work is characterized by minimalism and functionality. Clay teaches her discipline and patience, and ceramics is her passion.
Iga van de logt
Iga van de Logt, born in 1999 in Lanckorona near Krakow. She graduated from the Art High School in Nowy Wiśnicz with a degree in ceramics and studied art and ceramic design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, including one year on a student exchange at the ISIA Institute for Artistic Industries in Faenza, Italy. In her work, she moves between art and utility, drawing inspiration from nature and everyday life. The social aspect of working with clay is particularly close to her heart – she believes that interaction with ceramics can be a source of happiness and mindfulness. She also explored this topic in her diploma thesis, "Small Joys." During workshops, she strives to create an atmosphere of openness and support, while also imparting practical skills in throwing, hand-building, and decorating.
Sabina Benčíková
Her passion for ceramics led her to Japan, where she learned the craft from masters of traditional pottery, including in Atami and Shigaraki, and practiced longest in Tokoname - one of Japan's most important ceramic centers. She also traveled the Rokkoyo route (six oldest ceramic kilns), during which she visited countless workshops, studios, galleries, and museums. Today, in her Warsaw studio "Struktura Ceramics," she creates vessels that harmoniously combine Japanese craftsmanship with Polish modernity.
She finds great joy in sharing her passion and skills.
"Ceramics for me is about balancing creative freedom, unpredictability, with knowledge, rules, and meticulousness."
At the workshops led by Sabina, you will gain a dose of technical knowledge and develop your creative sense.
Your photo could be here :)
We cordially invite individuals involved in art in its broadest sense to cooperate with us.
We are currently looking for people to run thematic workshops - if you run classes (not necessarily ceramic ones), please write to us at biuro@alike.pl