We had the good fortune of connecting with Thea Cheah and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thea, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
It’s been great. I have the perfect balance to do things according to what I want to at work and when I just want to do something more laid back.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am beginning to learn more delicate and technical issues regarding craft. It isn’t easy as there any not many potters to begin with in my home country. I have to continuously experiment with things and figure out what works and what doesn’t. In addition, I need to consider what the market wants and what can be sold in current trends.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Jao Tim is one of the few remaining jazz bars/restaurants in Kuala Lumpur that have professional live musicians to showcase to the public. The quality of music in Kuala Lumpur has been digressing lately partly due to manufactured pop songs.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to my father, I will not have had the opportunity to become a potter if it was not because of him. With him being a potter for many decades, he has all the knowledge, tool and equipment for me to easily join the fun. Next, I would like to give a shoutout to my boyfriend that has encouraged me to continue on this journey, no matter how hard the challenges are.

Website: mytouchofclay@gmail.com

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Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.