Commitment and Creativity with Sinta Ceramics

Patricia Paner had been studying pottery for more than a year when she decided to start selling her works to maintain the hobby.

“Pottery is an insanely expensive hobby for those who want to create ceramics regularly — even one-off lessons in a studio is something the typical Filipino couldn’t realistically afford.” Patricia shares.

Despite her business being two years in the making, she dedicated her first year in business to fundraising through Hajime Home on Instagram (@hajimehome).

“I sketched and conceptualized designs I wanted to make in that first year, and finally got enough seed money to buy complete materials and a pottery wheel in late 2020. After a lot of practice and failed projects, I finally found confidence in setting up shop with a small collection of my handmade ceramics.”

Patricia then named her shop, Sinta, which is a classic Filipino pet name for your beloved.

“Pottery I would say is one of the greatest loves of my life. I’ve always been artistic since childhood but never really found an outlet I truly enjoyed until I found pottery in 2019. Pottery is all about communicating with clay, and I’ve found myself only speaking to my medium with love. It’s an art form that often leaves you heartbroken whenever your projects fail, but I never find myself giving up on it. It’s a lot like a complicated relationship that I’ve committed myself to for life.”

Patricia had been collecting ceramic pieces since she was in high school. She had been wanting to collect other ceramic designs from potters but these designs would only exist in her head.

“I believe in my ideas and knowledgeable collectors and ceramics newbies would enjoy my designs as much as I did, so I set up an Instagram shop and eventually a website.” she shares.

When asked about the challenges of her business, she cites reject products eating up a majority of the capital.  “I think no potter can 100% guarantee their works would come out perfect after baking in the kiln, no matter how long you’ve been in the game.”

Another challenge she faces was keeping up with the demand for handmade pottery with factory-made pricing and quality.

“It’s quite near impossible to make works you could sell at a price anywhere near mass-produced ceramics cost. I’m grateful for the fact that I have customers who are happy to support my art, but at times it’s hard to keep up with the demand knowing I make all these works by hand and I am not a machine.”

Despite this, she’s committed to finding ways to streamline her workflow as she refuses to resort to shortcuts and molds. This is what makes her products 100% one of a kind. All of the designs of Sinta Ceramics are original and unique, without the pressure of following current ceramic trends.

“As cliche as this may sound, it’s the best feeling knowing you made someone happy with art you made with your own hands. I’ve received reaction videos of people unboxing my works, and the happy screams, smiles, and even tears make the process all the more worth it. I could retire doing this.”

Patricia always circles back to her Sinta’s mission when creating her products.

“Sinta’s mission is to offer handmade ceramics that evoke meaning and connect you to the world around you. In the long run, I aim to make Sinta work towards making pottery within reach of aspiring Filipino artists from all walks of life. I want pottery to become as within reach as other mainstream art forms such as painting — because pottery truly is that great and I think it should be available to anyone who’d like to experience it.”

Sinta Ceramics can be found on Instagram @sinta_ceramics