From the Galilee to Jaffa: My Story in Clay

I was born in Israel and raised in the Galilee, surrounded by the quiet green landscape of the north. Later, I moved south to the desert, where I discovered a different kind of serenity in its vast, open spaces. Today, I live in Jaffa and work from my studio in south Tel Aviv, an island of calm within the energy of the city.

I first encountered ceramics when I was five years old. I fell in love with the touch and scent of clay, and with the anticipation of seeing each piece emerge from the kiln. That connection to the material has only grown stronger over the years.

As a young adult, I discovered Moroccan ceramics. Traveling to Morocco and seeing the craft up close became a turning point. I was fascinated by the process and the magic of how each piece was made, and I returned home knowing this was the field I wanted to explore and make my own.

I studied Ceramic and Glass Design at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, receiving academic excellence awards in my second and third years and a distinction for my final project, Points of View.

After graduating in 2016, I received the First Studio Scholarship at Beit Benyamini, the Center for Contemporary Ceramics, where I developed my independent practice. Since 2017, I have also taught at Beit Benyamini, and from 2016 to 2022 I taught in the Department of Ceramics and Glass Design at Bezalel. In 2019, an AIDA scholarship took me to an artist residency at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Maine.

My work has been exhibited in Israel and internationally, including as a recurring exhibitor at the Fresh Paint Art and Design Fair in Tel Aviv since 2018, with Pagoda, a series of lighting objects created with lighting designer Nir Meiri (2024), and the Nevagim series (2025). I have also exhibited at the Tel Aviv Biennale of Crafts and Design at the Eretz Israel Museum (2020), at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show, and at Wayne Art Center in Pennsylvania (2019). My pieces are also carried in the gift shops of the Israel Museum and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. In 2020, I presented my first solo exhibition, In the Depth of the Surface, at Periscope Gallery in Tel Aviv. Today, every piece in my collection is created by hand in my studio.

Read more about Maiyan Ben Yona on Wikipedia (Hebrew).

Explore my exhibitions and events and the press and stockists page, or get in touch to visit the studio in Tel Aviv.

I specialize in porcelain, creating both functional and decorative objects.

Each piece is made using a combination of ceramic techniques, including wheel throwing, slip casting, and hand painting. Every object is decorated by hand, drawing on patterns from different cultures and bringing them together in a visual language of my own.

My work is also deeply influenced by traditional Japanese aesthetics, a sensibility toward simplicity, restraint, and material honesty that runs through each piece.

Bright and soft colors meet across clean, precise forms, allowing the decoration to take center stage. The pieces are designed to complement one another, creating an evolving collection with endless possibilities for mixing and combining.

I decorate each piece with glaze, which gives it a delicate texture and a play between the matte finish of the material and the glossy decoration. This contrast adds depth and interest to the surface of every piece.

All ceramic pieces are non-toxic, food-safe, and dishwasher-safe. As with all handmade porcelain, they are delicate and should be handled with care.

Last updated: October 2026