Saudis who are sentimental for the ancient art of pottery are becoming very excited at the prospect of helping to restore it. The age-old ability has recently made a comeback in the Kingdom, with young and old alike trying their hand at the traditional craft across the region. Cups, pans, pots, and urns made of clay have been replicated using more modern, robust materials over the years.

Ohoud Al-Adani dabbled in pottery as a child by playing with Play-Doh, but five years ago she decided to invest in a potter's wheel and begin making her own items. She noticed that by watching YouTube videos and learning from her mistakes, her peers were interested in her new hobby, and many joined in. Ohoud Al-Adani registered for a voluntary trip to California and wound up spending four months there helping a farmer run a community pottery workshop. The four most popular clays are earthenware, ball, porcelain, and stoneware, which are used for various goods depending on their composition, color, uses, firing temperatures, and other factors.

While pursuing her bachelor's degree, Nora Al-Mazrooa, a ceramic artist and lecturer at Jeddah University's college of art and design, was introduced to pottery in Islamic educational art. “I felt an immediate bond the minute I touched the clay,” she told Arab News. Afterwards, she volunteered as a ceramics teaching assistant during the summers to study and work with clay.”

Al-Mazrooa later received a master's degree in ceramics from Cardiff School of Art and Design in Wales. She said that when she first started working with clay in Jeddah, the practice was relatively unknown. Recently, there has been a surge of interest.

“Pottery has an aspect of mystery, and the contact with a natural material is therapeutic,” said Muruj Al-Shatri, a graphic artist and potter.

Various types of art are recommended by many therapists and mental health professionals as a way of speech and to help cope with emotional problems. Tactile feeling, meditative practice, and physical activity are all elements of pottery therapy that can help you relax.

“Ceramics is made up of three elements: clay, air, and fire. It’s most striking feature and is the ease with which it can be manipulated to make something. It is a means of exchanging thoughts and expressing one's imagination. Clay is a tool for expressing one's inner thoughts. I enjoy the pottery process, and the results are very satisfying,” Al-Mazrooa said.

“Playing with clay is really grounding, particularly for people who did not grow up playing in the mud, and for us to be able to work and play with it and be comfortable with, is something big for me,” Al-Adani said.

“Clay is a medium that allows all of our senses to be engaged at the same time,” Al-Mazrooa continued. It is a holistic experience that requires patience in order to complete the entire process from formation to firing, glazing, and firing once more. It relieves aggression and anxiety, and it often feels as if narratives and feelings are transmitted directly from the mind to the hands. I always practice Islamic art, including geometric and ancient Nabataean art.”

She adds a personal touch to her work by using Arabic texts such as poetry, sentences, and proverbs. “It gives a functional object a layer of identity and meaning,” says Al-Mazrooa.

Al-Adani designs items based on her everyday life and personal needs, with the aim of launching her own clay-only line. Her dream is to replicate everything she has in plastic and make it out of clay because she dislikes plastic goods.