Inside HEI Pottery: a Unionville studio made for making memories together

TL;DR 

Jean Yeung opened HEI Pottery in Unionville over a year ago after more than seven years of working with clay. Her studio welcomes couples, families and companies who want to create together. When a large festival crowd overloaded the local network last July and phones lost signal, her payment terminal kept working. Simple tools let her stay focused on her art.

Every piece at HEI Pottery starts with a lump of clay and ends with a memory. Jean Yeung opened her Unionville studio in Markham a little over a year ago. She teaches, shapes clay and runs the business herself. Her goal is simple: give friends and families a calm place to create together.

How did Jean Yeung start making pottery?

Jean Yeung starrted making pottery more than seven years ago because she wanted to make her husband a special coffee cup. It began one morning when she watched him drink from a plain cup, so she signed up for pottery classes. She made so many coffee cups, that her husband joked and asked her to stop. She moved on to other pieces.

She wanted to learn more, so she travelled to China and Japan to study techniques and styles. Each culture shapes pottery in its own way, she says. Culture matters as much as method. When she felt ready, she opened her own studio.

What does HEI mean, and why is the studio in Unionville?

HEI means joy and happiness in Chinese, and Jean chose Unionville because she lives in the neighbourhood. She also loves the garden beside the studio, which she describes as beautiful and peaceful.

What is the philosophy behind HEI Pottery?

The philosophy behind HEI Pottery is simple: you don't need to be perfect. Jean built the studio for quality time with friends and family. If you make a mistake at HEI Pottery, you keep it.

"Even a mistake is a good memory," Jean says. "The memory lasts a whole life."

She calls the studio small by design. You will not find a college program here. You will find a place to relax, create and make something to give away. "I want people to enjoy that moment with friends and family," she says. Jean keeps the space clean so parents feel comfortable bringing their children.

What classes and events does HEI Pottery offer?

HEI Pottery hosts private and group pottery experiences for couples, children's birthday parties and company team building events in Unionville, Markham, Ontario. Each one is designed for people who want to spend time together and leave with something they made:

•     Couples: private romantic room bookings, such as a husband surprising his wife on Valentine's Day
•     Kids: birthday parties in a clean, family-friendly space
•     Companies: team building events, where half the group learns wheel throwing and the other half learns hand building