My Story

Hi!

I’m Matt Bugeja founder, owner and lead ceramicist at Fatclay Pottery.

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I’ve been a professional creative for 20 years, most of which I’ve spent animating characters in TV shows and videogames. After spending a number of years moving around a lot, I’m now happily settled helping to raise my young family down on the south coast.

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Because much of my career has required working in digital environments, I really missed the feeling of making something with my hands - that incomparable combination of the tangible and textural. And getting your hands dirty, of course whether it be paint, ink, clay, paper mache or charcoal!

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I’d always loved ceramics since studying at art school. Like most people I had a bit of extra time on my hands during the lockdown months, so I dedicated as much of it as possible to perfecting my skills on the potter’s wheel. It reminded me why I was originally drawn to the creative arts in the first place - I was hooked!

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Fatclay is the result of this reignited passion - I founded the pottery studio in Southsea in 2021 and got to work designing and creating all sorts of pieces, which I’ve been lucky enough to ship to customers all over the world. All my work is thrown by hand on the potter’s wheel and fired twice to stoneware, and each piece is designed to be functional for use in the kitchen or around the house.

Now I'm able to open the doors to all of you for pottery classes and studio membership - whether you’re completely new to pottery or have some experience creating your own pieces, everyone’s welcome to come and give it a go. I really enjoy teaching - there’s nothing more satisfying than watching someone’s skills develop and their creativity come alive. Another thing that I love about this job!

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Think you might be interested? Feel free to contact me or drop in for an informal chat and we’ll be happy to answer any questions.

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Matt