The impact of studio pottery on Indian society is growing, as more and more people with ample resources come to appreciate the quality of hand-made ceramics. More and more people are taking an interest and the number of studio potters is growing steadily.

Guy Christopher Fish met Sardar Gurcharan Singh in 1994 when he came from UK to India. He came to Andretta in 1995 and worked under Sardarji. Subsequently he established his own small pottery called Fish Pottery.

He mainly relied on his electric kiln, till recently, when he constructed his own wood fired kiln. Working in terracotta, he also tries his hand at terrasigillata, burnishing and smoke and chemical fuming; but would like to concentrate on getting good results from wood firing.




 
 
Guy likes to make anything that takes his fancy. He explores themes, gets tired of them, and starts on new ones. He likes simple functional items, that have been made well. He feels they possess an honesty and humility that many of the 'fancy' items lack.

Basically he is self-trained and is learning as he goes along. Guy would love to have some formal training and hone his skills. One day he wants to spend some time working with a master.

Fish Pottery has now established its showroom at Panchrukhi, which is about 2 km from Andretta. Guy works with an Indian family who helps him in every aspect of pottery making.

Recently Fish Pottery has also introduced stoneware into its range of products. Apart from its direct outlet at Panchrukhi, Fish Pottery also supplies to shops in some of the major cities and displays and sells from exhibitions in galleries.

Guy says of himself and his work: "Images and forms in clay have the power to move people. This is especially true of devotional pottery, but is also true of the humblest, but soulful cup. The soup of my creativity has many ingredients, among which are local cultural values and ideals, especially mother worship. I am affected by everything I see, hear, and feel. At times the impact is direct and obvious, and at times it is subtler - a mood that pervades my work."
 
Fish Potteries is located two kilometres from Andretta, at Panchrukhi. One can take the same transport as one would for Andretta. There is a narrow gauge train, which also goes from Pathankot and takes about six hours to Panchrukhi.