馬馬虎虎 

lit. horse horse tiger tiger

An old-timey sort of Chinese idiom to describe something as mediocre or so-so.

Hi, Joe and Elaine here!

We took our first pottery class in January of 2020 as a forcing function to step away from the computer screen, tickle that other side of our brain, get our hands dirty, and produce something tactile. Over the course of the past couple years, it’s morphed into something real and all-consuming – much more than a hobby. Our name is a self-deprecating, tongue-in-cheek nod to our continuous process of experimenting, tweaking, and improving – and to our shared heritage as Taiwanese-Americans with lovingly critical parents. Oh, and we also have two little studio mascots in Kombu and Katsu (who just think they're tigers).

Our inspirations are myriad (though admittedly with a millenial Asian diasporic bent). You'll most often find us straddling the line between fun and functional art, and careening between nostalgia and irreverence.

Every piece is carefully (read: obsessively!) wheel-thrown or hand-built from stoneware or porcelain clay, in a sustainability-minded community studio that focuses on water conservation as well as clay and glaze recycling. 

Our work is designed to last and purpose-built – whether as a desk/debugging buddy, a carefully proportioned cappuccino cup, or a tumbler/propagation cup. We hope you're able to find something that speaks to you and brings you joy for years to come.