The Wakatipu Potters Group are delighted to be hosting Ceramics New Zealand's 2026 Touring Potter, Chanakarn Semachai aka PUNCH, 13 & 14 October for a 2-day workshop creating a Sculptural Lidded Jar.

Bangkok-born ceramic artist and educator Chanakarn “Punch” Semachai creates work that bridges cultures and questions belonging. She holds a BA from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and an MFA from Edinboro University, USA. A 2022 NCECA Emerging Artist awardee and member of the International Academy of Ceramics, she has exhibited internationally. An observer at heart, she draws on everyday life, travel, and the question of who we are when we feel out of place. In 2026 she was awarded a British Council Connections Through Culture grant for a collaborative project in the UK exploring storytelling and memory through clay. This summer she takes up residencies at the Royal College of Art and in Brighton.

Artist statement:
My work explores identity, multiculturalism, and the search for belonging. Moving from Thailand for my MFA, I learned that happiness lies not in conforming but in embracing what makes us different. This led to my dinosaurs, ancient creatures navigating a modern world, much as I have navigated unfamiliar terrain far from home. Blending sculptural and functional forms with vibrant color, ornamentation, and a dash of humor, I hope to create special moments between my pots and the people who enjoy them, and to remind us that it is our differences that make us remarkable.

The workshop will run from 10am to 5pm with a break for lunch.