Our Team
Learn from the Best, Create with Confidence.
- Our Team
Meet Our Expert Team
Habiba El-Sayed – Pottery Instructor
With an interest in archives and paralleling mythology with contemporary experience, Habiba El-Sayed’s multidisciplinary practice re-imagines historical references using a combination of both old and new technologies. Habiba holds an Advanced Diploma from Sheridan College in Ceramics (2014) and a BFA in Ceramics from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (2016). El-Sayed's work has been shown in galleries and museums across North America and has been featured in publications such as Craft is Political, BlackFlash Magazine, Fusion Magazine and Studio Potter. Her practice also includes regular guest lecturing, classes, and workshops at studios and institutions both locally and internationally.
Melissa Harendorf – Pottery Instructor
Melissa has been making pottery since 2007, when she took her first throwing class and immediately fell under the spell of clay. She has a vast knowledge of ceramic materials, processes, and techniques, and is passionate about sharing this knowledge with others.
As an artist, Melissa is obsessed with colour and the layering and sequencing of colours and glazes. She is endlessly fascinated by glaze chemistry and the pools, drips, and cascades of colour that form in the kiln. As a teacher, she encourages experimentation and loves helping her students explore and develop their own creative process. As a queer disabled artist, she is always committed to accessibility and creating a welcoming environment for queer, disabled and neurodivergent students and studio members. When she’s not making pottery, you can find Melissa crocheting, watching Star Trek (TNG and DS9), reading novels, eating pastries, learning ASL, and trying to befriend every cat she sees on the street.
Kevin McLachlan - Pottery Instructor & Studio Technician
Pixy Ghosh - Founder & Pottery Instructor
Pixy discovered the art of pottery as a creative refuge during the pandemic. What began as a personal escape quickly grew into a deep passion for the craft and its transformative impact on mental well-being. Inspired by the joy and connection pottery fosters, Pixy founded Spin Pottery Studio to create a welcoming space where creativity and community thrive.
At Spin Pottery Studio, Pixy hopes to share the same sense of joy and discovery that pottery brought into her life. For her, pottery is more than just an art form—it’s a way to bring people together and celebrate the beauty of making something with your hands.
Michelle Ronquillo - Pottery Instructor
Michelle Ronquillo is a highly passionate ceramic artist and sculptor based in Toronto. Her journey began at the Arts Center at Central Tech, where she completed a four-year certificate program majoring in Fine Arts with a focus on sculpture/ceramics. She further expanded her artistic expertise by obtaining a diploma in makeup artistry, special effects prosthetics, and creature design from CMU which has greatly strengthened her sculptural skills and enhanced her ability to work with clay.
Her unique artistic vision is evident in her ceramic pieces, which often focus on wheel throwing techniques with fine detailed sculptural elements. Her mold-making skills have translated to the mascot field, where she has worked as a sculptor and carver for several years and is now freelancing. Possessing large-scale mold-making experience, she plans on utilizing these skills to teach slip casting and mold-making.
Working as a teacher has fueled Michelle's passion for art, evolved her skills, and allowed her to share what she has learned with others. Through her work as a sculptor, carver, and educator, Michelle continues to inspire and push the boundaries of ceramic art.