About the Stolen Bagel Pottery Studio
Stolen Bagel started off as a cafe and slowly become much more! When the owner, Li started hosting pottery classes, what was before just a regular cafe became a pottery studio out of Li's passion for ceramics and our amazing customers. After a couple of years break, we have reopened in a brand new studio in central Christchurch.
We offer a great variety of classes, private sessions, membership and pottery services.
Our goal here at Stolen Bagel is to become a community where everyone feels welcome to create.
Our Teachers
Hannah McKay
McKay Art & Clay
Hannah is originally from the US she moved to New Zealand to live with her partner back in 2015. Hannah is a full-time Potter, she started doing pottery in February 2019 when Ceci from Creative Clay Studio invited Hannah and her mom to Ceci’s home studio to make a few things and since then Hannah has been hooked. She has taken many classes at community centres and pottery Studios across Christchurch and she is ready to help you with your pottery journey!
Catherine Zhang
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Catherine Zhang hail from Tianjin China. It’s been her lifelong dream to become a ceramic artist.
My dream began to realise about 20 years ago, while I was studying at Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts University. I became an artist-in-residence in Jingdezhen of China.
In 2013, I created my own slow life pottery studio and started my pottery creation.
All kinds of materials and firing technology play a very important role in my creation, and it gives me amazing creativity.
I read an article in an antique book about the history and ancient techniques of repairing broken ceramic pieces. I was hooked and started to study this unusual form of ancient art.
My last 15 years has been consumed with researching the techniques, learning different skills and testing my ability.
My dedication to art has brought me to master a part of this vast ancient art known as the GOLDEN REPAIR Techniques. A Chinese TV show invited me to explain this technique and let more people understand this ancient golden repair technique.
I restored many ancient porcelains from antique collectors. So I combine my pottery works with gold restoration, and recently, I combined together some sculpture works with lacquer art.
I will keep trying more materials (and more) possibilities to complete the combination of materials.
Mido Yu
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Mido began studying ceramics in Jingdezhen, porcelain capital of China, in 2012 and received his Bachelor's Degree in Art Design from the Jingdezhen Ceramic University in 2016 before joining the Jingdezhen Tung Yao Ceramics Studio to take on the position of director. And joined in Stolen Bagel as a teacher in Jan 2024.
Mido has been working with clay for over 11 years. During this time, she has completed her studies and her ceramic works have been collected by Jingdezhen Ceramic University; she has created her own ceramic brand, exhibiting and selling her handmade tablewares and small decorative objects, and she is good at using new materials in ceramic production and design, with a delicate and whimsical style; she has set up a ceramic service studio, and she has led a team to offer ceramic courses, and has grown up from operating and teaching. These experiences have made her an independent ceramic artist.
Ceramics has been one of Mido's lifelong career and exploring New Zealand's ceramic culture is something she is doing.
Effy Cho
Effy hails from South Korea and has always had a passion for drawing and making things with her hands from a young age. She pursued her love for the arts by attending a fine art craft university in Seoul, Korea. Her career began in visual merchandising design in Seoul. She later relocated to Singapore where she taught floral arrangement.
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In 2016, while living in Manhattan, NYC, Effy discovered her true calling in pottery. This newfound passion had a profound impact on her life, becoming the highlight of her varied career and experiences.
Now based in Christchurch, Effy is excited to share the magic of pottery with others, bringing her diverse background and deep love for the craft to every class she teaches.