BISILA NOHA Ceramicist

Spanish ceramicist Noha is known for her minimalist handmade tableware and pots. She is also co-director of arts and activism organisation Lon-art Creative and lives with her partner in a newbuild block of flats by Regent’s Canal in east London’s Haggerston. ‘This space is a spare room and an office – my laptop is here and it’s where I do research – but it’s also somewhere I can be on my own if I don’t want to be disturbed.

I tend to sit in silence and either meditate or do breathing exercises. The latter I do every morning when I wake up; it’s the way I set myself up for the day. Or sometimes I might sit for five minutes and meditate before going to bed to calm down.

We have plants everywhere. It makes the flat feel less urban and closer to nature even though we’re in the middle of the city.

One of my favourite artworks is a small unframed print of an abstract landscape by my friend Lucia Fraser, who is a painter and ceramicist. Plus, we used to share studios and she is an amazing, hilarious woman so I adore having her energy around me. Exercise is important for my mental health and I often come in here to do vinyasa yoga. I’ve been practising for six years.

The pottery on the shelves brings joy to the space. Some pieces are made by friends; others are presents or things I’ve found. There is a pot made by John Colbeck, who was my mentor during a 2016 residency in Italy, and a couple of plates and a teapot by 20th-century potter Clarice Cliff that I picked up from a second-hand sale in Dorset. Every piece is special and unique to me.’ bisilanoha.co.uk