Featured in Heart of the Beast

For the past year, I've been sitting on the biggest secret in my creative profession, and it's finally here for you, and for me.

Somewhere between glaze tests and early mornings at the wheel, in a tiny home studio tucked away in rural New Zealand, the Mountain Mug was born. It started the way most of my pieces do - no fanfare, just clay, fire, and a lot of trial and error. I never imagined it would end up anywhere more glamorous than someone's kitchen bench.

This is its story.

As a potter, there is inevitable pressure to get ahead on what you know that sells, so that you can make room for the next creative expression that you set out to pursue in the first place. The mountain mug was the first personal project I conducted in the studio, as like any hobby potter, I just wanted that special mug for myself that I hadn’t seen anywhere else. 3 years later, I didn’t think I’d be here making the same mug, time and time again. The mountain mug is the heart of the business and for someone who has grown to thrive away from routine, this repetitive labour of love has become both a pursuit of perfection and a meditative outlet.

A Silent Nod to Our Home

The film is set in Alaska - rugged, remote and wild. A world seemingly far removed from New Zealand. And yet, quietly woven into the set is a little piece of home: a mug made in my studio in Glenorchy, hidden in plain sight as a small tribute to the landscapes that inspire my work.

That's where the Mountain Mug came in. Handmade (very locally!! - Literally a 10 minute drive from set), imperfect in all the right ways, and unmistakably shaped by this land. It became their nod. Not a logo, not a mention, just a mug used exactly what it was made for. For the adventurers, the camp fire dwellers, and story tellers, carrying a piece of New Zealand set thousands of miles away.

Keeping the Secret

I've had to sit on this for about a year. Although I knew that the mug had made its way onto set and even into Brad Pitts hands, I didn’t fully know the extent of the story, or if it had even made the final edit. That was until I got the call from Paramount Pictures earlier this winter. It's strange keeping something this big to yourself, especially when it involves a piece that so many of you already own.

Now that it's finally out, it feels only right to share it with the people who made the Mountain Mug what it is in the first place: you.

Your Mountain Mug Has a Story Too

If you own a Mountain Mug, I'd love to hear about it. Where did yours come from? What has it seen? What story is it a part of? Tag me @potteryforthepoles and share your story; I'll be reading and sharing every single one.

It's a strange, wonderful thing to watch something made quietly, by hand, in a small remote studio travel so far. Thank you for being part of its journey long before the world knew its name.