From marine life to dragons and Froggo Monsters, Anahita Jain finds inspiration for her ceramics in the worlds around and within her
CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ
Anahita Jain (AJ) has always been drawn to the ocean. In fact, in early 2025, she did a diving course in the Andamans and was hooked. It is this love for the water and its beings that now regularly show up in the ceramic works that she creates.
Her relationship with ceramics began in college, when a two-week hand-building course introduced her to the material. She followed it with a three-month course in Himachal before moving to Goa, where she continued learning under potter Thomas Louis.
“Since I’ve started ceramics I’ve realised the endless possibilities it has to offer and that is one of the things I love about it most,” she says.
With a background in lifestyle product design, Jain had long wanted to work independently. In November 2025, she started her own practice,
Clay J, in Peddem. Her mother, who runs a business of her own, has been an important influence, while her friends have also been her cheerleaders.
Jain’s work moves between nature and imagination. In her Nature Collection, she tries to retain the movement and unpredictability of the natural world. “I try to capture the fluidity of nature along with the fluidity of clay,” she says.
Her Froggo Monsters inhabit a more whimsical world. Jain describes them as “simply little creatures, who live in their own Froggo world and adapt to our human world by embracing our characteristics”.
Dragons feature in another ongoing body of work, The Dream Project, which draws on Jain’s vivid dreams. The series began with a dream in which dragons trapped in a cage spoke to her about their lives. “It’s an attempt to understand the world as beyond what we see and to create the creatures in different ways and forms so that ultimately, I can create them as I saw in my dream and capture the mystique of it all,” she says.
Her relationship with clay extends beyond its use as a material. Jain considers it a teacher, one that has taught her patience, humility and an awareness of her own limitations. “It’s such a limitless material, you keep learning, keep growing and keep pushing your own boundaries,” she says.
Clay can also be a mirror, revealing the maker’s state of mind, she says. “If I’m having a bad day, it shows up in my work, even if you don’t want to face what you’re going through, clay has a way of making you sit with yourself,” she says. “It’s meditative, but it’s also constantly testing you.”
Jain also conducts ceramic workshops, where she enjoys watching participants become absorbed in the process. “Sometimes it feels like a child inside of them came to life for a brief moment,” she says, adding that she particularly values the way strangers connect over clay, away from phones and other distractions.
As a small business owner, Jain has to manage the different aspects of her work alongside making ceramics. “Giving time to everything and prioritising tasks, becomes a challenge,” she says. What keeps her going, she adds, is being grateful for where she lives, the experiences she has had, the people in her life, and the freedom to live on her own terms.
Jain wants to experiment with different firing techniques. She has tried raku firing and would like to do more of it, as well as explore pit and wood firings. “My goal would probably be to finish The Dream Project, although that will probably never end as I hope I never run out of weird dreams.”
