Your morning chai ritual deserves an upgrade.

Not just any vessel will do when you're brewing the perfect cup! You need something that feels good in your hands. Something that looks like art but works like the workhorse mug it is. Something handmade, one of a kind, and worth showing off on your counter.

Enter Diana Hoover, the artist and psychologist-turned-potter behind KNOOK Ceramics ✨

When we started dreaming up a collaboration for our chai lovers, we knew we wanted to work with someone local, someone whose work felt as bold and intentional as our spice blends. Diana's work stopped us mid-scroll! Those exaggerated curves. The hard-edge painted patterns that stretch and warp across the surface. The colors that practically jump off the shelf.

We reached out with the dream to make our very own kulhad (aka chai cup). She said yes. And together, we created something pretty special: a limited-edition chai mug in custom Spicewalla colors, that are truly one of a kind (just like you).

What is a kulhad? We're so glad you asked! Ruchika Agarwal says it best, "This humble handle-free clay vessel is known ubiquitously as the kulhad, and sometimes, a shikora or bhaand. It is typically tapered at the bottom, curved around the middle, and sized perfectly to fit into one’s palm. While the beverage within could be chai or a savoury chaat or rich mithai, the kulhad adds another layer — a rich connection to the earth, adding a very discernable flavour to anything that touches it."

Each chai cup is hand-thrown, hand-painted, and completely one of a kind. Diana literally touches every single piece from start to finish - weighing the clay, throwing it on the wheel, trimming, painting, glazing, and firing. It's a weeks-long process that results in chai cups that are functional art. They're made for daily use but beautiful enough to display. 

This isn't mass production, baby! This is a collaboration between an artist, her hands, a kiln, and a whole lot of intention. And because Diana's studio is right here in Asheville (where she landed in 2019 and where she rebuilt after Hurricane Helene) every chai cup you buy supports a local maker who's pouring everything into her craft ❤️

We sat down with Diana to talk about her journey from cancer research to ceramics, what it means to embrace imperfection, and how she and Spicewalla came together to create these special cups.

Grab your chai (obviously) and read on, friends! 

Getting to Know Diana: From Psychologist to Potter, Houston to Asheville

Diana is the kind of person who commits fully. When she decides to learn something, she goes all in! Testing, experimenting, repeating until she gets it right...it's probably the psychologist in her. Or maybe it's just who she is. Either way, it's definitely something we love about her! 

What we know is this: she makes ceramics that we absolutely adore. Her mugs have these exaggerated curves that feel perfect in your hand. She paints bold geometric patterns using hard-edge techniques (masking tape and underglaze) that stretch and warp across the surface of each piece.

The result? Functional pottery that looks like modern art.

We wanted to know more about how she works, what drives her creative process, and what it was like to collaborate with us on these custom chai mugs. So we asked her! Here's what she had to say ⤵️

SW: When did you start working with clay?

Diana: I began working with clay about 12 years ago when I was living in Houston, Texas and living a very different life.

I’m a psychologist by training, and at the time, I was working in cancer prevention research. A friend and I decided to take an evening pottery class (shout out to Foelber Pottery!), and I was instantly hooked. I repeated the 6-week beginner class a few times, but didn’t really get serious until 2019, when I left my academic career and my family and I moved to Asheville.

I started taking classes at The Village Potters Clay Center and did a 3-year mentored residency there. At the time, I don’t know if I was really thinking I’d be doing ceramics full-time, but I wanted to learn as much as possible. I treated the residency like a job—I took advantage of the mentorship and resources and did sooo much testing. I’ve always been drawn to bright colors and bold patterns and graphics, so I started working with underglazes to paint on my pots. This cracked everything open for me—I started to think of each piece as a vessel and a canvas, which was really exciting. After Hurricane Helene, I moved into my own studio in Woodfin. 

SW: Tell us about KNOOK Ceramics—what do you make and what makes your work unique?

Diana: I make functional pieces that incorporate sculptural elements like exaggerated curves and oversized handles. My work is completely handmade from start to finish. Each piece is thrown on the wheel or constructed from a clay slab and then hand-painted, so no two pieces are ever completely alike.

My studio name is called Knook Ceramics in honor of my grandmother, Sara Stewart. Sarie loved design and fashion, so she and a friend opened a women's wear boutique called The Knook in Cookeville, TN. 

My aunt’s husband was an architect and helped her design the space. Sarie helped me find my voice in so many ways, and she was someone who totally loved me the way I was. She was also hilarious and hated having her picture taken. She wore the same outfit for as long as I can remember—men’s slim shorts, baggy sweatshirt, blonde bob. Sadly, she died in 2019 after a long struggle with dementia. 

SW: Walk us through your creative process. What does it actually look like to create one of your pieces from start to finish?

Diana: I work in cycles based on my own self-imposed deadlines.

First, I sit down and think about what I want to make and come up with a timeline.

I usually batch things, so if I need to make mugs, I will do like 2 or 3 dozen at a time. I am the only person behind Knook Ceramics, so I literally have a hand in all of it.

Creating a piece includes weighing and wedging the clay, throwing a form, trimming, adding handles, drying, bisque firing, sanding, painting, glazing, and glaze firing—it’s a time-consuming process!

SW: Your artist statement talks about the tension between striving for perfection and embracing imperfection. Tell us more about that! How does your science background influence your ceramics?

Diana: Initially, I think I was shooting for perfection, both in making forms and painting their surfaces, but since we are living in the era of AI and mass production, I want it to be obvious that my work is made completely by hand.

I record measurements of repeated forms like mugs or chai cups and know how much clay to weigh out for each piece—because they need to be roughly the same size and weight.

However, when it comes to surface design, I welcome what I call purposeful imperfection. I use a technique called hard-edge painting, where I use masking tape and underglaze to paint repeated patterns and graphic motifs on the surfaces of each piece. This results in distortions, as patterns and motifs stretch and warp across the surface of 3-dimensional forms.

I also welcome imperfections such as visible brush strokes and underglaze or glaze bleeding and drips. These imperfections reveal that each piece is unique, handmade, and a collaboration between the artist and kiln.

I think my academic background really influenced the way that I work. For example, I plan my work similarly to how I used to map out a grant or a paper. In academia, so much discussion is about “research trajectory,” “body of work,” and the “5-year plan.” I definitely think about those things in relation to my ceramics practice, as I want to have a cohesive body of work. I am always thinking about the next steps and setting goals for myself.

SW: Let's talk about this collaboration! How did you and Spicewalla come together to create these custom chai mugs? What was the design process like to create the perfect chai mug, from the shape to the patterns to the colors? 

Diana: I have been a huge fan of the Spicewalla brand for a long time, and we use their spices in my home. I love their brand design and use of bold colors, so I was thrilled when they reached out about a possible collaboration.

Asheville is such a special place with a vibrant and collaborative creative community. Moreover, I’ve found that locals really support locals here, and it meant a lot that Spicewalla reached out to me for this collaboration!

We discussed cup style, and I created several prototypes before we started talking about surface design and color. Then, we modified some of my previous designs to incorporate their brand colors. 

SW: Where can people find your work and follow along with what you're creating?

Diana: Locally, I sell work at The Center for Craft, Garden Party, and Pollen Coffee + Flowers. I will also be participating in several upcoming holiday markets:

• Richmond Craft + Design (November 21-23, Richmond, VA);
• The Big Crafty Holiday Market (December 6-7, Asheville, NC);
• and Porter Flea Holiday Market (December 12-13, Nashville, TN). 

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