Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanya Volansky.
Hi Tanya, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m Tanya and I own Big Mug Co., a one-woman pottery studio making wheelthrown stoneware built for daily use.
I’ve been a sculptor for 25 years, and everything I make comes back to understanding process and keeping a record of an object’s history. I’m from northeastern Pennsylvania and I have a BFA in Three Dimensional Fine Art from Moore College of Art & Design. I worked in all the mediums I could get my hands on over the years but I’ve always come back to clay.
What keeps me in clay is that it records your hands. You can try to erase your marks, and they often come through anyway. A pot ends up being a record of your touch.
For years I made pottery alongside managing a small bar. In early 2026, I left that job to run Big Mug Co. full time. Everything is wheel-thrown by me in my studio in Benton, PA. The line has grown to nearly 70 functional forms across six colorways: obsidian, saltstone, moss, indigo, terrain, and leather. In January 2026, I earned a Master Artisan credential from the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, and I also teach occasionally at Centered Earth Studio.
Making functional ware means these pieces get used and carry their own history forward. For me, that’s grounding. It pulls me back into the moment, and I hope it does the same for whoever has one in their hands.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road and I don’t think it’s supposed to be. For years I made work around a full-time job so leaving that to run Big Mug Co. full time meant taking on everything at once: making, selling, learning social media, and running the business as a single maker.
A lot of what’s gone wrong has been outside my control. This year, the clay body I’d built my line around went on indefinite backorder in the middle of show season. I had to test substitutes and adjust glazes while the calendar kept moving.
I’ve come to see those variables as part of the work. You can plan carefully but materials, kilns, and people will still do what they want. I’ve noticed that if you keep showing up and doing the work, the thing you need tends to turn up. I think that is a good indicator that I’m on the right path.
That’s the same idea behind my work. You do your part, you let go of the rest, and what actually happened ends up recorded in the piece.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I make functional wheelthrown stoneware finished with hand building where the form calls for it. Mugs, bowls, and everyday ware are the core of it, along with some ritual and ornamental pieces.
What I’m known for is a consistent aesthetic that works in a lot of different spaces. You can pick one colorway or mix several, and they go well together. That’s by design. I want people to be able to build a collection over time without anything fighting for attention.
What I specialize in is making pots meant to be used daily. I’m not chasing a perfect, untouched surface. I want the piece to show the hand because that’s what makes it unique and yours once it’s in your space.
What I’m most proud of is finally trusting myself to do this full time. The skills were there for a long time but believing it enough to bet on them took longer.
As for what sets me apart, I come at pottery without any preloaded ideas of what the “rules” are so I think about a mug the way I’d think about any object. Most functional pottery is designed to hide the maker’s hand. I’d rather celebrate it.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I like best about Pennsylvania is the seasons. I’m in the northeastern part of the state, and watching everything change, decay, and come back is a big part of how I think about surface and glaze. It’s hard to live here and not pay attention to time passing.
What I like least about my location is the distance. Where I am, everything is a drive: supplies, shows, teaching. It’s a haul no matter where I’m headed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bigmugco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/big_mug_co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebigmugco
