Sabiha Ayari

Sabiha Ayari is a Tunisian artisan from Sajnan. She began practicing pottery at the age of 12, following in her mother’s footsteps. Devoted to her ancestral craft, she has spent her life shaping and preserving this unique tradition, gaining recognition both locally and internationally.

Sabiha chose not to marry. After the sudden passing of her brother, she took on the responsibility of raising his children, devoting herself entirely to both her family and her pottery. For her, clay is more than a material it became a source of strength, healing, and resilience. She often says that working with clay helped her endure the hardships of life, allowing her to transform sorrow into beauty with her own hands.

Sajnan pottery is an artisanal practice passed down through generations of women, relying entirely on natural materials and traditional methods. The process begins with collecting natural clay from the mountains, which is then hand-shaped into various forms. Once dried, each piece is delicately decorated using pigments derived from stones and plants. The pottery is then baked in open flames, completing a fully organic and ancestral technique that connects the craft to the land and its heritage.