Part of the Aki no Tabi event at the JCCC! More on Aki no Tabi

Celebrate the beauty of autumn through clay in this hands-on ceramic workshop. Participants will learn to create small mamezara (豆皿) — Japanese bean dishes — inspired by the natural shapes, textures, and colours of the season.

You'll have the opportunity to make 2–3 small dishes, choosing from autumn-inspired designs such as leaves and tree bark. These versatile pieces are perfect for pickles and side dishes, or as charming trinket trays for small treasures. Once your pieces are complete, you'll select your preferred glaze colour, and the studio will glaze and fire your work. Finished mamezara will be ready for pickup in approximately 4–6 weeks.

Helen Kong is the owner of Secret Teatime, a ceramic studio in Scarborough where she creates pottery and teaches intimate clay workshops and courses.

A practitioner of Chado (the Japanese Way of Tea) as well as Chinese tea, Helen’s love of tea deeply informs her creative practice. She specializes in ceramic wares for Japanese and Chinese tea rituals, everyday living, and multisensory food experiences in restaurants and cafés.

Through her work, Helen hopes to bring people together through tea and handmade culture, creating memories, stories, and vessels that can be cherished and passed down for generations.