High-flying Clay Image making a name at home and abroad

You might have known about the economic prospects of Bangladesh’s ceramics industry as it is well positioned to expand rapidly, mostly with tableware, sanitary ware, and insulator products.

Low labour costs, a creative human resource base, and clean gas reserves in certain locations to fire kilns for competitive advantage are helping ceramics gain popularity among surging middle-income consumers.

Besides, Bangladesh’s tableware products have achieved a good reputation in the international markets, such as North America and the European Union countries.

Transferring the technology from Japan, a number of tableware manufacturers here produce high-quality products, including bone china for international brands.

What is needed for branding Bangladesh is creating uniqueness in the trajectory of the ceramics industry growth, and Clay Image made it possible.

Clay Image, which makes handmade ceramics in Bangladesh, produces as many as 57 products, including dinnerware, mug, tea set, vase, wall tiles, and candle stand. Most of their best-selling items have Bangla names, such as bati, corai, plater, tawa, bash mug, etc.

With innovation at the core, Clay Image has drawn attention to tens of thousands of ceramics-loving people through its aesthetic appeal and creative designs that blend the modern and traditional Bengali floral and geometric concepts.

Crafting tableware ceramics goods with bare hands, it has envisioned transforming ordinary tableware into aesthetic masterpieces and has already left a footprint in clay ceramics.

Rehana Akhter, founder and owner of Clay Image, said, “Ours is the first hand-made clay ceramics business in Bangladesh and the world’s first female-owned one. Our sales are increasing day by day in the country. Besides, we are getting good responses from Europe and America.”

The hand-made ceramics are being made from recycled clay with multiple colour glazes. Clay Image claimed these materials are fully non-toxic, and the processing till production is completely eco-friendly.

Unlike contemporary Bangladeshi ceramic manufacturers using on-glaze design products, Clay Image has come up with under-glaze designs and colour techniques, making it unparalleled in the ceramic arena.

“Our under-glaze designs bring natural colours to the pottery and make them durable,” said Rehana. According to her, under-glaze ceramics do not leak colour to food and last a long period.

Sanjida, a medical student at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said, “I have recently collected a set of plates and mugs from a Clay Image shop at Dhanmondi as they have good aesthetics of the floral and geometric blueprints.”

“It cost me a bit higher, but I really love their designs,” she said. “I think the more people know about Clay Image’s ceramics, the higher sales it will make. Its products have good quality as well.”

Asked about people’s response to clay ceramics, Rehana said, “We are selling a good number of tableware products at our two shops in Dhaka. We take part in various fairs and exhibitions to sell and promote our goods. Sales and customer response are quite good.”

“We took part in this year’s Dhaka International Trade Fair for the first time. People responded to our products more than we had truly hoped. We are eager to expand our sales in the next trade expos.”

While studying at Dhaka University’s fine art faculty specialising in ceramics, Rehana obtained a gold medal for her creative work in the very first year which, according to her, was responsible for her branching out into commercial ceramics later.

“It also gave me the motivation to clinch the best media award for the next four consecutive years,” she added.

Opposed even by her family members, she started her small business with a capital of merely Tk 8,000 by setting up a small studio in a tin-shed house almost 25 years ago.

“I, back then, used to go to Narayanganj with my raw products for scorching them and take part in various exhibitions with my artworks. I started my business with five people where I used to process clay with my own hands and train my colleagues.

“Fortunately, my products used to sell out, propelling me to go forward,” she said.

Since then, she did not need to look back. She now has managed to establish a three-storey factory and create jobs for 75 people, including 50 women and 25 men.

Now Clay Image is doing business at its showrooms at Dhanmondi and Mirpur in the capital. Its utensils are being exported to around 30 countries, including the US and Europe. According to Rehana, Clay Image’s ceramics are gaining popularity there.

“I have never wanted my work to remain confined to only the walls of one or two houses. Rather, I wanted to leave a mark in peoples’ hearts, and I think Clay Image did it,” she said.

“I did not start participating in exhibitions with my artworks for making money. I was just selling my products as a hobby and from the profits, I started reinvesting in the process. Finally, it became profitable.”

“I did not take out any bank loan during the first 19 years of business. But recently, I did, removing my fears about loans,” she added.

Clay Image was awarded at the 8th National SME Product Award 2020 as an innovative small and medium enterprise. Rehana received a trophy, a certificate and prize money from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the exhibition.

In 2021, Rehana received the IDLC-Prothom Alo SME Award 2021 in the manufacturing industry, education, health, agriculture and female start-up categories.