MMclay is a small production handmade tableware business located in the bustling neighborhood of Hayes Valley in San Francisco. Founded by artist and designer MaryMar Keenan in 2015, MMclay was catapulted into the public eye with the production of the Progress Collection, a tableware collection specifically designed for the James Beard award winning restaurant, The Progress. Since then, MMclay has made work for over 50 restaurants internationally and thousands of homes worldwide. With a thriving ecommerce presence and two retail locations, MaryMar and her team of makers currently produce five lines of tableware that are well made and offer beauty and style to any home or restaurant. MMclay wares are made to be utilized and enjoyed as MaryMar is particularly inspired by the quiet conversations between maker, user, food and vessel particularly while they are in use. In short, MMclay brings art to your table.

The Makers and Their Production Space
MMclay wares are made, glazed and fired in the production studio at 69 Gough in Hayes Valley. They are produced by a team of makers, as well as MaryMar herself (when time permits).

The Making Process
MMclay uses a variety of techniques within the production process and each piece is handled several times by many hands. While most pieces within the lines are slab built and formed using slump molds, others are pressed. Many forms are thrown on the wheel, hand carved or fabricated by actually pinching the clay. Textures on the outside are applied using either a serrated rib, a small wooden tool, or an array of handmade texture tools. The edges and bottoms of each piece are waxed and glazes are hand brushed. After the final firing, each piece is sanded by hand and washed before being pulled for packing.

The Production Model
We are small production and have done our best to streamline the pieces in the lines while still offering customization on select items. While we do have two retail locations, much of what we do is made to order filling. Because of the nature of the process there is a great deal of variation in the glazes making each piece very one of a kind.

The Materials
Western US clay distributed by local East Bay ceramic supply, dry glaze materials.