Students showcased pottery and ceramic art at the annual “Holiday Student Pottery Sale” in the campus center dining hall on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5.

The event’s total sale is going to fund scholarships granted to students to attend the “Annual California Conference for the Advancement for Ceramic Arts” this upcoming April, 2024 Rocky Lewycky, ceramics instructor, said.

Bala Subramanian, who said she is taking ceramics classes at De Anza for fun, said that artists get 60% of the proceeds and 40% goes towards De Anza’s ceramics department.

“Most of the pieces here were made here in our studio,” Subramanian said. “So a lot of this work is by De Anza students. A few works are by our instructors and a few visiting artists who donated pieces for the sale.”

Lewycky said that anyone who is taking ceramics classes could have their work up for sale but many of the pieces displayed were created by more advanced students.

“As students matriculate through the whole process, they’re learning, getting more advanced and so typically the people (whose pieces) that show here have had at least two or three classes, (or even) up to 10,” Lewycky said.

Derrick Le, 21, undeclared major, contributed to the sales and had sold a few pieces.

“I’ve sold a few pieces but I did underprice a few,” Le said. “I just wanted to make space and clear out inventory.”

Subramanian said she sells some of her works because she has so many of them and that she’s glad to see customers enjoy her artwork.

“Along the journey as you’re learning different techniques and how to do things, you end up making a lot of pieces and there is only so much room you have in your kitchen,” Subramanian said. “It was very exciting to see my pieces walk away with happy customers so it feels really fun.”

Le and Submaranian collaboratively said that they enjoy the process of making their ceramic pieces.

Le said that doing ceramics is very enjoyable.

“I really do like ceramics a lot. I enjoy it as a hobby,” Le said. “The process of building it, sculpting, having it turn out the way you would want it.”

Submaranian said playing with clay helps her feel calm and present.

“I just love playing with clay, being on the wheel and throwing something, it’s a form of meditation for me,” Submaranian said. “Clears my mind.”

Subramanian said that the students sold a lot of pieces at the sale.

“We just counted. We sold about 280 pieces yesterday and I think today it’s probably the same.” Subramanian said. “So, quite a few hundred pieces got sold.”

Lewycky said that the sale was consistent so the students should have earned a lot of money.

“It’s been very steady. We typically make between 3,000 and 5,000 for the two days,” Lewycky said. “We did well.”