🇨🇭 Basel • 5–8 November • Spalentor
🇨🇭 Basel • 5–8 November • Spalentor
Share this event
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.
I’m coming to Basel to teach these workshops. They’re part of my tour through six countries in Northern Europe and Switzerland, from August to December 2026.
5–8 November 2026 · Ceramics Collective Basel
Six workshops · 4 hours each · in English
Choose your session
Choose one of six independent sessions. Each ticket is for one complete 4-hour workshop in English. All times are local Basel time.
Thursday 5 November
18:00–22:00
Friday 6 November
10:30–14:30
Saturday 7 November
10:30–14:30 or 16:30–20:30
Sunday 8 November
10:30–14:30 or 16:30–20:30
Tickets
Friday morning · CHF 125
Final week · CHF 140
All other sessions · CHF 140
Final week · CHF 155
Prices per person · 10 bookable places per session
Final-week prices apply from Monday 2 November.
Everything will be ready when you arrive
Your ticket includes clay, materials, tools and the firing of your piece.
Open to beginners, experienced ceramicists and artists.
Come with a friend, partner or family member, or join us on your own, as many participants do.
We’ll spend four hours together, though the workshop may run a little longer. About two and a half hours in, we’ll take a break. There’ll be enough time to go out for something to eat if you like, or you can stay at the studio.
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 Ceramics Collective Basel to dry completely before firing. It should be ready around four weeks after your workshop.
I’ll email you when it’s ready and let you know how to pick it up from the studio..
Shared in small groups across 42 cities and communities
Since 2022, I’ve shared this workshop across ten countries in Europe and Latin America.
See every place 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 the school's activities in Ixtlán
Read more about La Comalita and see more photographs
Article in Spanish
Basel · Switzerland
At Ceramics Collective Basel
We’ll meet at Ceramics Collective Basel, a volunteer-led ceramics collective in the city.
Ceramics Collective Basel
Spalentorweg 7
4051 Basel
Switzerland
You can find the studio on Instagram @ceramics_collective_basel.
How your booking works
1 · Choose your session
Choose the date and time that work best for you. Each ticket is for one session.
2 · Complete the payment
Pay through PayPal with an account or by card. A PayPal account isn’t required.
3 · Check your email
Your confirmation includes your session, the address and practical details. Please check your spam folder if it doesn’t arrive.
I’ll invite you to an optional WhatsApp announcements group before the workshop. You won’t be added automatically; essential details also come 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, such as a generous cup, bowl or another simple vessel.
We’ll focus on that one piece from start to finish, with time to shape it, smooth it and burnish it with a stone. By the end, you’ll know the whole process well enough to try it again afterwards.
When will my piece be ready, and where do I collect it?
Your piece will stay at Ceramics Collective Basel to dry and be fired and should be ready to collect around four weeks after your workshop. The collective will handle collection at the studio. I’ll email you once it’s ready, with its collection instructions.
Can my piece be shipped?
We don’t offer shipping. If you need your piece sent, please arrange for someone to collect it at the studio and ship it to you independently.
Please give them clear photographs of your piece and its mark, your name and session details so they can identify it at collection.
What language is the workshop in?
The workshop is taught entirely in English. Everyone attending needs to be able to follow spoken explanations, demonstrations and instructions without relying on another person to translate during the session.
Can children join?
The workshop is mainly for adults. Children from around age 8 or 9 may join with a parent or responsible adult if they enjoy focused, hands-on activities and can follow the workshop in English without an adult translating. The session lasts 4 hours, so it may not suit every child.
Please book a separate ticket for the child and the accompanying adult. There is no reduced rate for children or young people. If a young person would like to attend independently, please contact me before booking so we can check the arrangements.
What should I know about firing?
Small marks, colour changes, warping or cracks can happen during drying, handling and firing. In very rare cases, a piece may break. I’ll guide you through the steps that give it the best chance, but the final result cannot be guaranteed.
Can I change or cancel my ticket?
If you cancel or can’t attend, your ticket is non-refundable. If you need to change sessions, please contact me at least 10 days before your booked workshop. If another Basel session still has space, I’ll be happy to move your booking. Your original booking remains valid until I confirm the change.
You can also transfer your place to another eligible person before the workshop begins. Please let me know who will attend instead.
Please read the Workshop Terms and Conditions before paying. Mandatory legal rights remain unaffected. If anything remains unclear, message me on Instagram at @ivan.monroy or email me at tickets.monroyroesch@gmail.com.
Location
Ceramics Collective Basel, Spalentorweg 7, 4051 Basel