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About Us

How We Started

Assoc. Prof. Rita Badilla-Gudiño, MFA, has been fascinated with the process of ceramics ever since she was a design student at UP College of Fine Arts (UPCFA). The motivation to put up Tahanan came from a need to make ceramics available to everyone and to have a space to share her knowledge, skills, and passion for ceramic arts.

Vicente Gudiño worked for a multinational company before deciding to start Tahanan with his wife Rita. He found working with clay to be an intuitive and gratifying process, an experience he wishes to share with his students.

Stanley Ruiz, a designer and faculty member at UPCFA, is Tahanan’s first partner. Stanley’s interest in ceramics came from the ability to shape clay into functional objects and transform it to permanence through firing.

Tahanan first opened its doors to the community in October 2018. Three short years later, they moved to a bigger home! In its growth, Dr. Daphne Ang came in to support Tahanan. She fell in love with clay as it offered a quiet time to draw on her creativity. Through their collective efforts, Tahanan now has exclusive rights to distribute quality clays, materials, and equipment from Laguna Clay, a US-based company, which has been in the business for over 40 years.

Built on the expertise and commitment of its founders and partners, Tahanan has paved the way in developing a community with great interest and appreciation for ceramic arts. It has grown to become a dedicated place open to anyone looking at pottery for enrichment and inspiration!

Mission & Vision

Tahanan aims to lead the way in making ceramic arts more accessible to Filipinos through quality ceramic work and effective teaching services for all skill levels.

We are working on building a thriving pottery community that will continuously inspire and challenge each other for the development and promotion of Philippine Ceramic Arts.

Meet the Team

Get to know the people who help run Tahanan

Founders

RITA GUDIÑO
Program Director
On top of her role at Tahanan, Rita is also an Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts (UPCFA). Her participation in the 2000 Tokoname International Ceramic Arts Workshop in Japan honed her ceramic art practice; and in 2008, she propelled the founding of the UPCFA Ceramic Studio, where she continues to direct its programs.

She teaches Hand-building Sculptural and Functional Classes as well as Single Session Hand-building Project-based Workshops.
VICENTE GUDIÑO
Executive Director
Vicente draws on his years of experience in marketing, sales, and customer service for a multinational company to efficiently and effectively run Tahanan’s operations. As a hands-on manager, he has dedicated himself to running the business as well as developing his practice in forming works using the potter’s wheel. His full commitment to these endeavors has led to the success that Tahanan enjoys today.

He teaches Basic Wheel Pottery Classes and Exploratory Wheel Pottery Workshops.

Partners

STANLEY RUIZ
PR & Publicity Partner
Stanley is a product designer and artist who works across objects, installations, and environments. He trained in ceramics in Bali and New York, and is currently based in Manila where he teaches materials for industrial design at the UP College of Fine Arts.

He teaches the Single Session Workshops at Tahanan.
DAPHNE ANG
PR & Publicity Partner
A pathologist by profession, Daphne has always been curious and eager to explore new things. When a friend recommended that she try pottery, she jumped at the chance. Pottery has since become a fulfilling creative outlet that helps her relax and unwind after busy days at the lab.

Staff

VIAJANE LAURENTE
Customer Relations & Administration Assistant
At Tahanan, Via is responsible for handling student registrations, orders, and various administrative tasks. She plays a crucial role in ensuring that every student and customer has a delightful experience at our studio. When you visit us, you'll be greeted by her warm smile and friendly demeanor at the front desk.
BHING CANELA
Custodian & Operations Assistant
If you’ve taken a class at Tahanan, you’d know that Bhing is the most called out name. She makes sure that all tools, supplies, and equipment are in-stock and ready for use every day. In case you need to find anything in the studio rooms or at the shop, Bhing is the person to ask. Between classes, Bhing keeps everything spic and span and assists in ceramic studio operations.
JOHNNY DELA ROSA
Custodian & Operations Assistant
Kuya Ga is our all-around Mister Reliable who maintains Tahanan grounds, facilities, and equipment while also performing minor and preventive repairs. His main task is to assist in ceramic studio operations such as ceramic materials inventory control, clay processing, glaze mixing, kiln work, firing, and maintenance.

Meet the Teachers

Get to know the mentors who will happily guide you on your pottery journey
AL CRUZ
Aleister is a Chief Strategy Officer of a multinational financial service company. He started his journey into pottery in 2002 and joined Tahanan as a teacher for the Pottery Wheel Classes. His motivation to teach is propelled by a desire to build an appreciation for the art and science behind ceramics. He approaches teaching with attention to framework and breaks down the process of pottery wheel throwing into units that are easily understood.
REYNEL DELA ROSA
Reynel started working as a technical staff at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts Ceramic Studio in 2011. He is trained in all the ceramic processes required to run a ceramic studio. His fascination with the medium and processes of ceramics led him to hone his practice in forming clay works using the potter’s wheel. He spends his weekends sharing his love for the medium with his students at Tahanan in his Basic Pottery Wheel Class.
SONNY CRUZ
Sonny is an advertising Broadcast Producer by profession who began his pottery journey in 2003. He remains a serious pottery enthusiast and continues to channel his attention to detail in the production of his functional ceramic tableware and decorative sculptures. He aims to share his knowledge gained through the years as he joins Tahanan in developing pottery as an art form in his Intermediate Pottery Wheel Class.
MONICA ANTONIO
Monica is a creative writing graduate from UP Diliman and a communications head by profession. In her free time, she translates and edits books. When not working with words, she uses clay as her medium of storytelling by creating wheel-thrown pieces inspired by her hometown, Palawan. In her Basic Pottery Wheel Classes, she aims to encourage students to share their unique stories through clay. She also provides social media content for Tahanan.
BONG FIGUEROA
Bong is a multi-talented creative professional who is as passionate about work as he is about his other creative pursuits. This advertising creative director is a multi-hyphenate in his off-hours as a serious ceramic enthusiast, poet, aviator, automotive writer, and theater director. Find out how you can tap into your creativity and center yourself with clay, as he guides you in his Basic Pottery Wheel Class.
MONIQUE HILARIO
Monique is a creative based in Manila. She has been working with clay ever since she discovered pottery in 2021. During the weekends, you can find her at Tahanan forming new projects and overthinking glaze combos for her works. She also teaches functional hand-building classes and single-session workshops.

TÔ AUSTRIA
Tô is a professor, teaching both undergraduate and graduate students at the UP College of Fine Arts for more than 30 years. His passion for clay and ceramics started in 2013 and has been his art practice both in the academe and in the art circle. Tô also teaches the Studio Pottery courses at the college and developed, in part, the ceramic courses offered at the University. His works, primarily functional and formed using the potter’s wheel, have been exhibited locally and internationally. Tô has also participated in various international Clay and Ceramic Art conferences and workshops to work towards his vision of institutionalizing the Ceramic Arts and Design Program in the country’s premier university. He joins Tahanan as a teacher of the Basic Pottery Wheel Class to share his passion for working with clay with a larger community.
MARA MILANCO
Mara is a young artist currently finishing her undergraduate studies at UP College of Fine Arts. Her passion for clay started when she took a ceramics class in college. This changed her path from taking the painting program to sculpture. She took multiple ceramic courses offered at the college and further honed her skills as an apprentice at Tahanan. Mara’s passion for ceramic arts and desire to learn enabled her to progress her skills quickly. She now teaches Basic Hand-building Functional Pottery and Basic Sculptural Classes.
CHADEE JIMENEZ
Chadee is an industrial design graduate of UP College of Fine Arts. Coming from a family that supported her interest in art since she was a child, she greatly values the benefits of early art education. This inspired her to become an art educator for children and adults as well. Chadee continues to hone her skills as a visual artist and designer. Her current art practice involves designing and working for a New York-based jewelry company as well as for a Southeast Asian-based company that develops and produces paraphernalia for visual journaling. Chadee teaches the Tahanan Kids Pottery Classes and Workshops. She hopes to draw from her long experience in teaching art to kids to inspire them to have fun expressing their imaginations in clay.

DINDO PILAREJA
Dindo is a dynamic and driven artist who developed and acquired his creative sense from his landscape architectural practice and later found himself curious to explore and understand arts further. Looking into marrying his experience in architecture with formal arts, he is currently experimenting with common construction materials as part of his standard media. At Tahanan, he teaches hand-building classes and workshops to share his knowledge and inspire others.
VEE KING
Vee started pottery in early 2022 as a student at Tahanan. At that moment, she immediately knew she wanted to be a potter. This lead her to be an apprentice at Tahanan under the guidance of Vicente Gudiño. Vee uses her passion for arts and design to fuel her growth as a ceramic artist. In her artmaking, she leans on the intersection of function and aesthetics, which she imparts to her students in her Basic Pottery Wheel Classes.
RAISSA CALUNSAG
Ryce Calunsag's artistic journey is one of growth and exploration. A teacher by profession, she started working with clay as a Tahanan student in early 2022. She is inspired by the vibrant landscape that is Manila and finds joy in sculpting its urban communities. Ryce joins the team as the instructor for Tahanan’s Kids Pottery classes and Single Session Workshops. She hopes to help kids and adults alike find their own sources of inspiration and happiness when working with clay.
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