About

Matt Dor And Tan


Who are we

Hello there, we are Sharron, Peter, Matthew, Viola and Julia and we run the Dor and Tan Studio. The story of Dor and Tan begins with a desire to break away from the disposability of modern life, to create objects with a more personal connection. We want our items to become cherished memories, that favourite cup you always pick when boiling the kettle, the soup bowl you reach for after being caught in the rain. We want to bring handcrafted items to people, that have a unique soft character which cannot be created any other way than by the hand of a maker.

 


Viola holding a Celadon and Speckle Tea Bowl Dor and Tan


How we design

The process of making is slow and thoughtful, taking care to choose the proper way over the easier way. Each object is made by hand from clay sourced locally and fired using green energy. These traditional processes make every piece unique, no two objects will be identical, sisters not twins.

When we are designing new items, we first bring them into our home. We put them on our shelves and use them in our daily rituals. We wear them in, and see how tactile and functional they are. To see which colours, forms, and textures we subconsciously migrate to time and time again. These items we bring into the studio to refine and develop into what eventually makes it onto our store.


A seagull flying over St Ives Bay


Make sustainably

Our first two studios were by the sea which put us on the front lines of what plastics and waste are doing to the environment. It’s hard to stay quiet and not express your ambition to change this when you could see it happening all around you. Our studio has helped with beach cleans in the past and we have been a part of Surfers Against Sewages Ocean Network since 2017 (previously called 250 Club). With this environmental charity membership we donate a percentage of our profits each year to help keep our oceans and beaches clean and protected.

To get to the root of the problem though we need to look at how we create and consume as a society. This is where a significant amount of our eco-conscious ethos comes from.


Green energy

We use green energy at the studio to fire our kilns and power electric wheels. Some of our our clay is even wedged by hand, to minimise our use of electricity.

Recyclable materials

We make sure that all of our packaging can be easily recycled, and where possible are even made from recycled materials. We will pass on no plastics on to our customers with our own packaging.

Sourcing locally

We try our hardest to source locally and when this is not possible we stay within the U.K. This is to minimise our environmental impact but also help support local businesses.

Ageless design

It’s essential to us to craft ceramics that can age with grace. We strive to create objects using quality materials and techniques, but also with longevity in aesthetics.