The story of Bardak is shaped by people who believe in the power of craftsmanship, the beauty of handmade work, and the value of togetherness. Over more than a decade, a community has grown that sees ceramics as a medium for expression, exploration, and connection with others. Bardak is a place where technique is respected, play is encouraged, and creativity is nurtured. Whether you are a beginner, a curious observer, or an experienced creative, you are welcome to share with us the love for clay.
In the beginning, there was a love for craft and art
We were founded in 2010 under the name “Art Boulevard”, as an association with the goal of promoting art, culture, and young creative talents. We organized exhibitions, fairs, creative workshops, and launched the digital magazine B:UM, which gathered a large number of young volunteers.
Ten years later, as a natural course of development, the interests of our members became increasingly focused on ceramics as an artistic craft. In 2020, the Bardak Potters’ Association was established, with a focus on developing and popularizing ceramics as a form of contemporary artistic expression.
We are not exclusively engaged in traditional pottery but also explore modern hand-building techniques and technologies, with special emphasis on unique items made in small series. Through projects, workshops, and educational programs, we strive to make ceramics more accessible and recognizable to a wider audience. Our goal is to create a space for everyone who shares a love for this medium, both professionals and enthusiasts.
From the very beginning, one of the pillars of the Association’s work has been education in ceramics, designed for beginners. In this way, we help raise awareness of the value of this craft and the complexity of its processes. Alongside practical courses, we have also organized theoretical lectures in collaboration with museums, libraries, and bookstores in several cities. These lectures often include demonstrations of work on the pottery wheel, one of the most iconic techniques in ceramics.
In the future, we plan to organize annual exhibitions, charity fairs, and offer support to all those who wish to pursue ceramics, through education, information, and a network of cooperation for sourcing materials and equipment.
From Hobby to Entrepreneurship
Saša Matić PR Bardak Ceramics Studio was founded in 2020 as an entrepreneurial workshop, under activity code 2341 – Production of ceramic household and decorative items. I started it with the goal of developing small-series production of unique, handmade ceramics that combine functionality and art.
In 2021, I received the Certificate of Artistic Craft from the Ministry of Economy, and by 2022 I launched an online shop as the next step in presenting my work to a wider audience. My vision includes developing collections of modern ceramic pieces that carry both functional and decorative value.
The decision to register as an artistic, and not a traditional craft, reflects the direction in which I want to create – as part of contemporary, urban pottery that does not shy away from tradition but is not bound by it either. I consciously challenge myself to explore and play, searching for new forms that inspire.
Bardak Ceramics Studio was envisioned as a creative workshop firmly rooted in craft knowledge, respect for materials and techniques. Professionalism, precision, and knowledge sharing lie at the heart of everything we do. At the same time, we strive to give handmade items the value they deserve compared to industrial production, and to make ceramics accessible to as many people as possible.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I was born in Bor in 1986. I first came into contact with clay in the summer of 1999, when I created my first works in the majolica technique. By chance or destiny, that same year my family moved to Šabac, where I discovered that one of our neighbors made ceramic kilns and that the town had a High School of Arts and Crafts with a department for pottery. This greatly shaped my future path.
I enrolled in the School of Arts and Crafts (today the School of Applied Arts) in 2001 and graduated in 2005. After finishing school, I worked for a while in the production workshops of the company TSK in Šabac, which manufactured ceramic components for tiled and fireplace stoves. Soon after, I began working as an instructor on retraining projects for unemployed women, in cooperation with USAID, Creative Network, and the Employment Bureau, in Bor and Negotin.
In October 2008, I was employed as a potter at the Department of Ceramics at the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade, where I remained for the next 10 years, until 2018. That year became a turning point, I left my job at the Faculty and moved into fully independent work as the founder of the Association and owner of Bardak Ceramics Studio, with the great support of my wife Jelena, who has since become an irreplaceable partner in everything we plan and do today.
My greatest motivation lies in the constant discovery that ceramics offers, in working in three dimensions with a natural material that provides endless possibilities for creation, expression, and play.
