Who is the Pot?                

Artist in Me series

by Sangeeta Jawla

Step into a world where stories take shape in clay and tradition comes alive through touch and movement. Join us for a unique storytelling performance and pottery workshop with researcher, potter, and storyteller Sangeeta Jawla. Through folktales passed down by generations of Indian potters, experience the deep-rooted narratives of craft, culture, and identity—all while getting your hands into the clay.

What Awaits You?

●     Be transported into the hidden world of Indian potters, where storytelling isn’t just about words—it’s about hands shaping, wheels turning, and clay breathing life into age-old myths. Through songs, folktales, and philosophical reflections, Sangeeta will guide you through the wisdom and traditions carried in every pot.

●     Engage with Clay & the Pottery Wheel - Feel the earth between your fingers as you explore the techniques of traditional pottery-making.

●     Throughout the session, interactive cue cards will invite you to explore questions like: What if I fail to create? What does an “uncentered” pot say about identity? How do our hands shape stories, just as they shape clay? This is a space for play, reflection, and expression, where every piece you create carries a story—your story.

●     Work in small teams, shaping a shared narrative through clay. Experiment with forms, let your imagination guide your hands, and leave with a piece of pottery infused with the essence of storytelling.

●     Discover how pottery connects with Indian folklore, material culture, and even Urdu poetry. Watch videos of rural potters at work, listen to songs that celebrate the craft, and immerse yourself in a world where every object has a story to tell.

Whether you're an artist, a storyteller, or simply someone who loves discovering new experiences, this session is an invitation to slow down, listen, create, and connect—with clay, with stories, and with yourself. Come ready to explore, to get messy, and to shape something truly unique.

Artist Bio

Sangeeta Jawla is a research scholar, a practicing potter, and a storyteller. She has been collecting the folklore of the potter community across India from last seven years. Her Ph.D. is titled Potters’ Narratives: Identity, Social Relations, and Material Culture (2018-2024). She is certified in diploma courses such as Folklore and Cultural Studies (PGDFCS) and Certificate in Programming Arts- Hindustani Music (CPAHM) from IGNOU and one year certificate course in Sanskrit language from University of Delhi, and also trained for three years in classical vocal at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. She has attended a Short Course on Fundamentals of Arts Management conducted by ARThink South Asia & Khoj Studios Delhi. She has been a resource person for events organized by FICA, CCK (Ambedkar University Delhi), Kochi Biennale Foundation, and Sunaadam Trust, Bangalore. She has performed as a storyteller at Ambedkar University Delhi, Triveni Kala Sangam, Sanskriti Museum, Red House, Delhi, Museo Camera, Gurgaon, and Visthar Academy, Bangalore. She has also displayed her work at India Art Fair as a collaborative project with Indian Ceramic Triennale. Currently she is working as a Tour guide with India Art Fair for the 2025 fair. She has worked as a research fellow with reFrame on the gendered taboo around pottery, and as a research grantee on the musical aspect of a folk instrument “Ghadvā” at Sangeet Natak Akademi. Sangeeta is also a potter artisan authorised by the Ministry of Textiles.