IN CONVERSATION WITH GUY VADAS

Interview by MAREK BARTEK

Guy Vadas, also known as Pottery Boy, is the founder of Ceramiques, model and actor. When he first began working with clay, he immediately felt drawn to the medium and it was an instant connection, akin to love at first sight. Now residing in Sydney and after establishing three pottery studios in Melbourne, Guy has embarked on another creative journey in the realms of modeling and acting.

How did you come around working with clay, what made you fall in love with it in the first place?
A friend actually asked me to come to a pottery class. We went to this little old lady’s house around the corner from where I used to live in Melbourne, and just got used to coming there once a week. We sat around a little trestle table and hand built vases and mugs — so not on the wheel. We drank tea and coffee, and I was just obsessed with it. It was such a weird thing for a twenty-year-old to love because I was just hanging out with these bunch of oldies making pots. But I loved it and that was where I really fell in love with it. 

At only the age of twenty, you opened your own ceramics studio Ceramiques. What drove you to create a space for others to explore their creativity?
After my course with the lovely ladies, I rented a wheel and had it at my grandma’s place. I started creating there, and then people sort of began gravitating towards it. Next thing I know, I have all these people coming to my house just to hang out, make things, chill in the space, and I thought what a better way to continue this connection and love than having a space specifically for pottery. 

As a young entrepreneur, what challenges did you face in the early stages and how did you overcome them to establish not just one, but three pottery studios in Melbourne?
I think the biggest thing was human interactions and understanding how to work with people who are a lot older than me. At that age I really haven’t had many moments where I was an authority figure for someone who’s older than me, so navigating that was definitely a challenge at first. A lot of our staff were thirty years or older, and I was this twenty-year-old who had no idea what he was doing. Regardless, it was super interesting, and figuring out the best way to work with people was really an important thing I learned.

Do you have a specific moment or project that you have worked on at your first studio Ceramiques Elsternwick that you will cherish forever? 
The coolest thing about Elsternwick was that it was my first ever real business. I cleaned it up, fixed the walls, painted and renovated the entire place. I put a lot of time and effort into it, turning it from basically a dump into a really cool space. And so, seeing people come and love what I made was really fun and fulfilling. 

How would you say your artistic style evolved over the years and what themes or inspirations do you often incorporate into your pottery?
For me, it’s always been about self-expression, what I feel in a particular moment, and trying to avoid making anything just because I feel like I should. That was a big thing for me — learning to create because it feels right, and not really stressing too much about the end product. 
I just enjoy the feeling of the clay and these moments where I’m so focused on it, that I can’t think about anything else. So in terms of my artistic expression, I feel like it’s never really been about artistic expression, but rather purely expression itself.

You recently moved from Melbourne to Sydney, as well as started a new career in modeling and acting. What sparked this quite big break from your established business and familiar environment?
I think the social media presence that was built through the pottery studios and my own pottery channel really allowed me to be seen on a bigger scale. At some point the agents got interested in signing me and that was when the modeling started. These days I’m also transitioning into acting, which is such an exciting learning process. I love learning about the craft, about myself and just putting myself out there. 

Since this is quite a new experience for you, what are you enjoying the most so far? And on the other hand, what are some challenges you are learning to overcome?
Any moment where you can be learning, be challenged and expressing yourself more in an authentic way is something that I’m always excited by. It is demanding, of course!  Every time I’m working on a new scene or a new concept, there are always those doubts in the back of my mind that I’m constantly working through. But it truly is about growing to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. That is the biggest takeaway.

What has been the highlight of your modeling and acting career so far? 
Wow, that’s a good question. I don’t know if there is a real highlight. The whole journey has been really amazing. I’ve gotten to work with some really, really cool brands, which I’ve loved. I think, though, that the highlight is yet to come. It is on its way.

All this combined comes down to a very busy schedule. How do you balance these different aspects of your life? 
I have a very regimented schedule — a very scheduled schedule.  I lock in a few hours a day to really focus on each aspect of my life. It allows me to be so much more efficient. Keeping all of my scheduling well organized really helps make sure that I get through everything that I need to.

Looking ahead, are there any future projects you are excited about and can share with us?
I mean, I’m just super excited to continue the learning process. Hopefully by the end of this year, I’ll have an opportunity to be a part of a really exciting TV series or film. That’s where I’m heading. There’s more information to come on that but I still need to wait a little longer before saying anything.

TEAM CREDITS:
talent GUY VADAS
photographer HENRY LOU
stylist HAYLEY HING
makeup JAQUI DI CONDIO
hair DANIEL JIANING
styling assistants PAZ CUENCAIRIGOYEN
hair assistant MITO HARUNA
set design YUZHEN WANG
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview MAREK BARTEK