Clay, Community, and Creativity: Meet the Women Behind Papillon’s Pottery

Tucked away in a colorful corner of Port-au-Prince, there’s a team of women doing something pretty amazing — turning raw clay into beautiful mugs, vases, and home goods at Papillon Marketplace. But this isn’t just about pottery. It’s about women supporting their families, learning new skills, and creating something real with their hands.

The journey starts way out in Haiti’s Central Plateau, where the team sources their clay straight from the earth. It’s rich, red, and perfect for shaping. After it’s dug up and dried, it’s brought back to the Papillon workshop. That’s where the magic happens.

Inside the studio, you’ll find the all-female pottery team throwing clay on wheels, trimming, carving, and glazing with incredible attention to detail. Every mug and vase is handmade — no two pieces are exactly alike. There’s a rhythm to the work: spin, shape, smooth, fire, glaze. Then boom — a shelf full of gorgeous pieces, ready to brighten up someone’s kitchen or living room.

When things are running full steam, this crew can crank out up to 2,500 pieces of pottery a month. That’s a serious amount of mugs! And the best part? Every piece is made with love and purpose by women who are proud of what they do.

For many of them, this job is life-changing. It’s steady income in a place where that’s not easy to come by. It’s a safe space to work, learn, and grow. All of these women are moms who used to worry about how they’d feed their kids — now, they’re artists whose work is shipped around the world.

Papillon isn’t just a workplace — it’s a movement. By using local materials and hiring local talent, they’re proving that beautiful things can come from right here in Haiti. And that when women are given the tools and support they need, they don’t just survive — they thrive.

So next time you sip from a handmade mug or set a vase on your table, think of the hands that shaped it. Chances are, they belong to one of the amazing women at Papillon.