Although the 1990 film Ghost came out eight years before he was born, Guy Vadas, aka Potter Boy, admits he's seen the romantic thriller “many times”.
The potter understands the deep fascination people have for that most iconic scene, when Demi Moore and the late Patrick Swayze sit together at the potter's wheel, hands entwined in wet clay, with the ballad “Unchained Melody” playing in the background.
“I like to call it the 'ghost fantasy' that a lot of people have,” the 26-year-old tells Stellar with a laugh.
“I have not yet realized this fantasy with anyone … I was asked [to] although many times.”
With 1.6 million followers on TikTok and 222,000 on Instagram, Vadas has become something of a poster child for ceramics.
About six years ago, he attended his first class “at the little old lady's house” in the company of elderly ceramics lovers – and it was love at first touch. Wanting to learn more, he looked for studios to continue his lessons, but most options were, he says, “old school, very clinical, not my vibe.”
So he set up his own Céramiques studio, which is now open in three locations: two in Melbourne and one in nearby Geelong.
“When I first started, ceramics was a cathartic, meditative process for me. It allowed me to get a little zen, and I just got so into it,” he says.
“Then, all of a sudden, there were all these people who wanted to come and do it with me. The next thing you know, we've opened several places where you can do it.''
While the social media star credits TikTok for helping to make ceramics popular with Gen Z and millennials, he says that after watching another ceramic content creator, Melbourne artist Sil Cartwright, go viral, he said to himself: “H*h, I'd better get on TikTok.”
“I posted maybe 10 or 15 videos of me making pottery, and then, all of a sudden, one did really well, and it just grew steadily after that,” Vadas recalls.
“It's a wild world, TikTok. It's a lot of fun. Everyone has always been so supportive and positive, which is great because I've seen other creators who maybe didn't get the same support. So it's nice that everyone bypasses me.”
Many of his followers have expressed their gratitude to Vadas himself, not his pottery, and he laughs at the idea that he has become the object of a ghost-style fantasy.
“I've always attracted attention – I've never shied away from it. Most people in my comments say, “Don't make him sexual, don't do that, don't do that.” I just want people to have a good time. I don't take any of this personally or take offense to any of it.
“The coolest part is sharing [my content online] lets people feel something, and whether it makes them smile or get a little excited, I'm all for it. I don't take myself too seriously, you know? I'm not here to be the best artist in the world.”
Vadas' popularity on social media allowed him to pursue another creative field.
He moved from Melbourne to Sydney to study acting and signed with an acting agent.
Years ago, at the age of 19, Vadas moved to Sydney to become a model. “It didn't work at all,” he admits, “and I ended up going home.” He decided that this time things would be different.
“Learning about myself over the years has made me more comfortable in front of the camera. That was something I really missed when I was modeling back in the day,” he tells Stellar.
“Acting is one of the things that's on my bucket list for the next year or two. I would like to do something in the theater space. I'm excited to experience and work with characters that I haven't seen in real life.”
Read the full interview and see pictures from Pottery Boy in the latest issue of Stellar. To learn more about Stellar, click here.
Originally posted as I've always been the attention seeker: Meet TikTok sensation Pottery Boy
