Hearts & Clay
Hearts & Clay
In this beautifully intimate short film by filmmaker Sivan Gharib, British potter Maya Hughes takes us on a journey through her deeply personal and hands-on approach to pottery.
From gathering natural clay by hand in the landscapes of southern England, to applying her signature hand-layering techniques, Maya reveals the precision, patience, and passion that shape every piece she creates.
More than just a craft, pottery becomes a meditative exploration of mastery, beauty, and connection to the earth. Hearts & Clay offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what it truly means to be a potter—from raw material to refined form.
Film Maker
Sivan Gharib
United Kingdom
A London based freelance filmmaker and storyteller. He has a passion for the visual arts and tries to bring a narrative to every project he shoots. Having graduated from the University of Greenwich with a degree in English Literature and spent his life behind the camera, he truly believes in the best filmmaking comes from a blend of great story and great picture.
Film Master
Maya Imagine
- Craft
- Master Potter
- Country
- United Kingdom
A considerable goal in my work is to create a marriage between clay, surface decoration, glaze and firing which incorporates the use of found materials, connecting the work back to the earth in this highly processed age.
Ceramics is formed entirely from natural materials, we have developed processes to make it more consistent and accessible, but fundamentally it is all rooted in the earth. The fact that I can use materials which I collect in nature from various sentimental locations around me has captured my attention.
Form, function and use are important to me. I want the pots to be held in hand, encouraging people to notice the variations built up through the subtle layering of chosen materials and firings. I am learning to see how I must allow the pot to speak for itself and not over work it, to have as little contact as possible so to keep the piece “alive”; an entity of its own, with personality and a story of what it is made from.