🇩🇪 Berlin • 3–8 September • Mitte
🇩🇪 Berlin • 3–8 September • Mitte
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In this pottery workshop, you’ll shape your own piece entirely by hand, without a wheel, then burnish its surface with a smooth stone until it begins to shine.
This way of working comes from Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca, where it has been passed from person to person for more than 3,000 years.
I keep each group small so I can work closely with everyone.
We’ve opened one final extra place in each session 🌟
3, 4, 7 and 8 September · Mitte · In English
Choose your session
All groups are limited to ten participants, and each ticket is for one 3½-hour workshop in English.
Thursday 3 September
10:30–14:00 or 18:30–22:00
Friday 4 September
10:30–14:00 or 18:30–22:00
Monday 7 September
18:30–22:00
Tuesday 8 September
18:30–22:00
Choose from the sessions still showing availability in the ticket selector. Availability updates automatically.
Tickets
Final week · €79
For any session still showing availability
Early-bird and regular tickets are sold out.
90mil membership
90mil is a members’ space, so everyone attending needs a valid annual membership.
If you’re already a member, your existing card is all you need. If not, you can get a one-year membership at 90mil for €5 when you arrive. The membership is paid directly to 90mil.
The €5 membership is separate from the workshop ticket price.
Hosted at 90mil · near S+U Jannowitzbrücke (U8)
Everything will be ready when you arrive
Your ticket includes clay and materials, the use of all tools, and the firing of your piece.
Open to beginners, experienced ceramicists and artists.
It’s a lovely experience to share with a friend, partner or family member. You’re also very welcome to come on your own; many participants do.
Please arrive a few minutes early. The workshop is scheduled for 3½ hours, but may occasionally run a little over.
Hi, I’m Iván.
I’m a Mexican-German ceramicist. I lead every session myself, so when you arrive, I’ll be there to welcome you, share the stories and work alongside you.
The way I teach is shaped by what I learned in Ixtlán and by my years at ESAD Toulon in France, where I graduated and worked as a ceramics tutor from 2022 to 2024.
I learned this way of working in Ixtlán from Amelia Aquino, the town’s last traditional potter. The short trailer below offers a glimpse of her life and work.
Amelia: Tesoros vivos del barro · Official trailer · 1:59
The documentary grew from footage I filmed while studying with Amelia in 2021. Innovando la Tradición later developed it into the full 28-minute film.
In 2024, it was an official selection at the Morelia International Film Festival and was screened at Docs Oaxaca. The film has also been shown elsewhere in Mexico, in other parts of Latin America, in the United States and across Europe.
Read the story behind the documentary
Article in Spanish
Story · Shape · Burnish
What we’ll do together
We begin with the story
Through photographs and stories, I’ll take some time to share the wider history of pottery in Oaxaca and across southern Mexico, before bringing us closer to Ixtlán: its mountains, red clay, open-air wood firings and the people who preserved this knowledge and passed it down from one generation to the next.
Then we shape
You’ll begin with a piece of freshly prepared clay. I’ll show you how to open it, raise the walls and shape a bowl, cup or another simple vessel.
After a short pause, we burnish
Once the clay is firmer, we’ll refine the curves, add the final details and burnish the surface with a stone until it begins to shine.
One piece, made by you
You’ll finish one piece and add your signature underneath. I’ll help you make the walls, rim and base strong enough for firing, but the final shape is yours.
After the workshop
Your piece will stay at 90mil to dry before being fired. I’ll email you the collection dates and practical details once the pieces are ready.
Shared in small groups across 36 cities
Since 2022, I’ve shared this workshop across six countries in Europe and Latin America.
See every city where I’ve shared the workshop
What past participants remember
“I had never tried pottery or modelling, and Iván’s film about Amelia was a revelation for me, so I decided to sign up. The workshop was perfect, full of meaning and warmth. It was an unforgettable and unique experience.”
Anne-Laure Denans
Mauricette Cantine · Le Plan-de-la-Tour, France
October 2025 · Translated and lightly shortened from French
“What a wonderful experience! This way of making pottery was completely new to me, and Iván explained the story behind it with so much passion and honesty that I was completely captivated. Thank you for the inspiring workshop!”
Adriana Krasnici
Leo Atelier · Kreuzlingen TG, Switzerland
October 2025 · Translated and lightly shortened from German
Part of every workshop returns to Ixtlán
La Comalita was founded in June 2025. Children, young people and adults meet there three times a week to learn and work with clay, and the school is free for everyone in the community.
That contribution helps cover materials and the school’s weekly activities.
Rodolfo Pérez and I both learned from Amelia. Today, Rodolfo leads La Comalita’s weekly sessions in Ixtlán, in collaboration with Innovando la Tradición. I work alongside him whenever I’m there, and these workshops allow me to keep contributing while I’m away.
A glimpse of La Comalita in Ixtlán
Read more about La Comalita and see more photographs
Article in Spanish
Mitte · Berlin
Weather permitting, we’ll work outside
90mil is a temporary, multidisciplinary space for culture and community near Jannowitzbrücke. Its outdoor space has large umbrellas over the tables, and this is where we’re planning to work. If conditions change, we’ll simply move indoors, so the workshop can go ahead either way.
90mil
Near S+U Jannowitzbrücke (U8)
10179 Berlin
Exact address and entrance instructions are sent by email after booking.
How your booking works
Choose your session, complete the payment and check your inbox.
1 · Choose your session
Choose any session still showing availability in the ticket selector. Availability updates automatically as places are booked.
2 · Complete the payment
Payments are processed through PayPal. You can pay with your PayPal account or directly by credit or debit card. A PayPal account is not required.
3 · Check your email
Your confirmation email will include the exact 90mil address and arrival instructions. If you don’t see it, please check your spam or junk folder.
Closer to the workshop, I’ll message you on WhatsApp with an invitation to an optional group for your session; you will never be added automatically. Essential information will also arrive by email.
A few practical things
Do I need to bring anything?
No. The clay and materials will be ready, along with all the tools you’ll use during the workshop.
You don’t need to wear anything in particular for the workshop. The process is usually quite clean, and if you get a little clay on your clothes, it normally washes out easily. An apron is entirely optional. Shorter nails make hand-building easier, but long nails are fine too.
How much clay will I have, and how many pieces will I make?
You’ll work with around 400 g of clay to make one medium-sized piece during the workshop — for example, a generous cup, a bowl or another simple vessel you’d like to make.
We’ll focus on that one piece from start to finish, so there’s plenty of time to shape it carefully, smooth its surface and burnish it well with a stone. By the end, you’ll know the whole process well enough to try it again afterwards.
Can children join?
The workshop is mainly for adults. Children from around age 8 or 9 can join with a parent or responsible adult if they enjoy focused, hands-on activities. Because the session lasts 3½ hours, it may not suit every child. Please book one ticket for the child and one for the accompanying adult, as places are limited.
When will my piece be ready?
Pieces normally need around four to five weeks after the workshop to dry and be fired. Once they’re ready, I’ll email you the collection dates and practical details.
What should I know about firing?
Small marks, colour changes or cracks can occasionally happen during drying and firing. In extremely rare cases, a piece may also break completely in the kiln. We’ll handle every piece carefully, but ceramics always involves some uncertainty and the final result can’t be completely guaranteed.
Can I change or cancel my ticket?
Tickets are non-refundable. If you need to change sessions, please contact me at least 10 days before your booked session. If another session still has space, I’ll be happy to move your booking. You can also give your place to someone else at any time; just let me know who will be attending instead.
Please read the terms and conditions shown during booking. If anything remains unclear, message me on Instagram at @ivan.monroy or email me at