Tucked away in the courtyard at Hackney Downs Studios, Kotani is the newest addition to this thriving network of creative studios in Dalston.

Founded by ceramicist Thomas Abbott, the ceramic studio and shop brings traditional hand-thrown pottery into quiet conversation with a community of artists, designers and independent traders. It is a space where ancient techniques, everyday encounters and spontaneous ideas come together.

The seeds of Kotani were first planted in Thomas’s hometown, in what he describes as an under-the-stairs studio that introduced him to the basics of clay. “At a young age, my mother would take me to ceramics classes that would blend history with sculpture and inspire creation through academia,” he recalls. Years later, after moving to London, that early spark reignited through classes at Skandihus in Hackney. “Almost two years of this was enough to convince me I wanted more out of this craft, which has led me to the point I am at today.”

His creative process is as much about curiosity as it is about tradition. Travel and culture feed into each piece, often merging references across centuries and continents. “The shape might be of a 16th-century Chanoyu tea mug, while the handle mimics an Elizabethan-period tankard, all adorned in Mediterranean strokes and hues. Whether you attribute this to confusion, abstraction or beauty is for the interpreter to decide.”

The studio’s setting is no accident either. Thomas’s artist studio within Hackney Downs Studios places him among a courtyard community that is quietly alive with ideas. “I remember reading about Café Guerbois, a meeting place for the French Impressionists,” he says. “The story stuck with me as a lesson in the impact of collaborative force. You don't necessarily always collaborate in the literal sense here, but just being around people who are building, experimenting, failing and trying again keeps you in motion.”

Opening a physical ceramic studio and shop was a bold step for such a new brand, but for Thomas, it felt essential. “Owning a public space to showcase my work meant freeing myself from the vacuum that often limits feedback,” he says. “Having conversations with visitors has gradually opened my perspective.” Beyond that dialogue, running his own creative studio in Dalston has taught him the practical side too: reclaiming clay, recycling materials and learning the full craft from start to finish.

What happens next for Kotani remains purposefully open. “It was never my intention to open a physical shop; it was spontaneous, much like my usual attitude,” Thomas says. “While I know I will pursue ceramics long-term, I’m taking each day as it comes and keeping myself open to any and all opportunities.”

For now, a new courtyard door at Hackney Downs Studios stands ajar. It is an invitation to experience clay, conversation and the quiet rhythm of a craft rooted in tradition and shaped by the creative studio community that calls Dalston home.