ABOUT US
Inspired by nature, grounded in clay.
Claymates is a ceramics studio in Cowaramup, at the heart of the Margaret River region, conveniently located between Margaret River and Dunsborough. We welcome everyone—from complete beginners to casual hobbyists and experienced potters.
We specialise in hand-building ceramics, offering private 1:1 classes for beginners, group ceramic classes, and specialist workshops. You can also become a Claymate with our open-access studio membership, “like a gym membership for potters.”
Our light-filled, modern studio is designed for relaxed and creative learning. We are fully equipped with an electric kiln, a variety of clays, slips, underglazes, and glazes, and all the tools you need to explore and refine your skills.
All classes are taught by Kate Lethlean, whose studio practice informs everything taught at Claymates, from hand-building techniques to surface detail and functional form.
The surrounding area offers wineries, beaches, restaurants, and cafés just a short drive away, making Claymates a perfect stop for locals and visitors exploring the Margaret River region.
Why Claymates?
When I first moved to the region from Victoria six years ago, I had very few close friends here. I was new and busy taking care of my very sick mother. John was working, often interstate and away for long periods.
One of my few friends suggested I needed to find something for myself and came up with the idea of a morning spent hand-building ceramics at a studio in Busselton. And it was literally life-changing.
From the moment I touched the clay, I was hooked but, almost more importantly, I found my people. After the session, I put my new friends’ phone numbers into my phone with their names and a very important identifier — “Claymate”. We were a little gang, joined by our mutual love of clay, cake and tea. Over time, our little gang grew and we needed a WhatsApp group to keep up with all our making and sharing. Naturally, it became “Claymates”.
I’ve still got that first piece I made — I keep my makeup brushes in it — and I’ve still got those first friends I made.
When it came time to name my studio, there was no other choice. It had to be Claymates. A place where strangers could meet and leave as friends; a place to discover ceramics, to eat cake, to chat and drink tea; a place to share and explore this wonderful, challenging obsession called making ceramics.
I hope you’ll come along and become a Claymate too.
Oh, and thank you, Tonia — that hand-building class was a top idea! x
Who is Kate Lethlean?
Kate Lethlean is an Australian ceramic artist based in the Margaret River region of Western Australia.
Kate creates contemporary, elegant porcelain wares for the home and table, along with striking botanical sculptures inspired by seasonal plants and flowers.
A keen gardener and cook, Kate was naturally drawn to organic forms—initially fruits and vegetables, and later flowering vines and blossoms. Her work is informed by a longstanding interest in the historical representation of flora in European ceramics, reinterpreted through a contemporary, more natural lens. Rambling vines and botanical details have become a signature of her practice, designed to complement food and enhance both table and home.
Kate has studied with renowned ceramicist Sandra Black in Perth, Western Australia before travelling to Italy to study handmade porcelain flowers at La Meridiana ceramic school in Tuscany and undertaking one-to-one mentorship with porcelain artist Martha Pachón Rodríguez in Faenza, Italy’s historic ceramics centre.
Today, Kate works full-time from her Claymates studio where she remains captivated by clay’s ability to surprise, disappoint and delight; creating functional and sculptural ceramics and sharing her evolving practice through small-group classes and workshops.
You can read more about Kate here and see more of her work here.