Tanvi Arora’s interiors are amazing. Even before the Vancouver, British Columbia-based potter touches the clay, he imagines the kind of space the object will occupy. “The environment determines the physical shape and structure of each piece, and the emotional response I hope it evokes,” she tells Business of Home.
Tanvi Arora Ruiz Valdizon
Born in South Asia and raised in Dubai, Arora studied interior design at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education and began a 10-year career as a designer. At night, I took a pottery class to relax after work, and eventually bought my own potter’s wheel so I could experiment at home. “I would work 12-hour days and practice behind the wheel until late at night,” she says.
In 2018, she and her husband immigrated to Canada, where she continued to work as an interior designer during the day and make pottery when she wasn’t working. However, over time, she eventually narrowed her focus to ceramics. “I launched TAV Ceramics in April 2019 with a small line of handmade tableware,” she says. “When I started, I worked in a shared pottery studio, but now I have my own space in East Vancouver.”
All of Arora’s ceramic designs begin with sketches that are translated into digital renderings that she uses to sit behind the wheel. “A piece can take two to four weeks to complete,” she explains. “Also, the larger the scale, the longer the piece will take because it needs enough time to dry slowly and evenly to prevent cracking.”
The artist describes her pottery as “pared-back” and defined by simple geometric shapes and neutral glazes that “highlight the tactility” of the material. “The main character of my work is raw clay,” she explains. “I try not to cover it up with glaze, so shape and texture can play an important role in the overall beauty.”
TAV Ceramics Jennilee Marigomen Anthracite Oyster Wall Sconce and Kroll Pearl Wall Sconce
Arora has recently started incorporating pitfire into his designs. This requires each piece to be baked for up to 24 hours at a time in a fire pit filled with naturally combustible materials such as wood, cotton, or coal. “The fire leaves a stunning trail of smoke on the surface of the piece, making each piece completely unique and irreproducible,” she says.
At the Wanted Design fair in May, she unveiled her first TAV Ceramics lighting collection, X. This collection features four pieces with aquatic life in mind. Matte Oyster wall sconce with glass globe. A pearl candlestick that looks like a shell. and a monolith vase inspired by underwater rocks. “This line is the result of my cumulative experience in design and ceramics. That’s where the series gets its name. It marks the beginning of my focus on fine ceramics for commercial and residential spaces. ” she says.
Abacus installation created by the artist for a project by M Moser Associates Luis Valdizon
In addition to creating these pieces, Arora also collaborates with interior designers on custom installations. For example, in a recent M Moser Associates project in downtown Vancouver, she transformed 300 handmade ceramic beads into a room divider display resembling an abacus. “I love working with interior designers to create something bespoke for their projects,” she says. “I feel like this is the moment when my creative career has come full circle.”
We are currently working hard on collaborative art installations for local restaurants and plan to release a capsule collection of unique objects and vases in 2025. Where I want to go,” says Arora. “We hope to continue to introduce new products once or twice a year and continue to learn more about this beautiful medium, working with our talented design community.”
To know more about Tanvi Arora, visit the TAV Ceramics website or Instagram.
