Situated along King Street’s strip of food, drink, and retail spaces with the likes of Arno Deli, Scrubba Body, Monsoon Living, and Popolo Gelateria amongst some of the most recognised, sits a fresh-faced showroom. Introducing Hands Head Heart (aka HHH) – home to a unique collection of handmade porcelain homewares and pendant lights.

With Mongolian-born ceramist Zaya Badrakh at the helm and with the support of her husband, Geordie, HHH originally launched in Sydney back in 2015 before relocating here to the Hunter region in 2021. 

“I love making things. I was lucky enough to go to America for my senior year in high school and while I was in art class I worked with clay for the first time. I was fascinated with it & fell in love with the medium.

“Years later, while living in New York, we passed by a beautiful bespoke handmade porcelain store which totally reignited my passion for ceramics,” Zaya said.

Frequent visitors of Newcastle’s art and design market, the Olive Tree Market, may recognise the handmade porcelain ware brand, with Zaya and Geordie having made the trip up from Sydney many a time over the years.

In 2023, King Street became home to the brand’s very first showroom space, with Zaya’s purpose-built studio and workshop located at Flat Tops 1hr drive north of Newcastle.

“HHH needed to have a space, whether it was a retail space, a gallery space, or a showroom of sorts. Somewhere to consult, curate & personalise clients' custom orders.

“The workshop space out at Flat Tops is where all the magic happens. That’s where Zaya turns 25kg bags of powder into her unique designs, it is quite the process,” Geordie said.

HHH designs and manufactures low-volume slip-cast porcelain pieces of the highest quality using Australian-sourced raw materials. Made-to-order timeless pieces that are customisable including light pendants, vases, bakeware, tableware & a collection of smaller homewares.

“All of the products are oven, microwave & dishwasher safe. Our best-selling share plates can go straight from oven-to-table-to-dishwasher! Once customers learn about the creative process, versatility & usability on offer, they love telling that story over dinner or when they’ve passed on the piece as a gift.”

The newest addition to the HHH product lineup is their range of light pendants – this new direction and Zaya’s unique designs break the mould when it comes to bespoke porcelain lighting. 

“The feedback received from the light pendants has been amazing. We have about 2.5 years of designs up our sleeves waiting to come out.

“Beyond continuing to provide Newcastle with handmade porcelain homewares, the dream is to establish partnerships with local interior designers, architects, builders & businesses where the HHH designs complement fit outs & special spaces.”

The name and logo for the brand, Hands Head Heart (aka HHH), is one worth hearing –

“The way that the name came about was from a quote that I read by St Francis of Assisi – he was a prophet and had a great love for animals & the environment.

“I read this one quote – ‘He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.’

“The HHH logo is very simple in nature but also very bold. A lot of the products are designed utilitarian and there is beauty in that. Where the designs and products tessellate, we’ve taken from nature & that’s been very deliberate from the beginning.”

The King Street-based showroom and consultation space is always open for window browsing, but if you want to touch and feel the products for yourself, you can book an appointment.

Whether you’re looking for a unique gift for a friend, are always sourcing new finds for your home, or are intrigued by the idea of handmade porcelain pendants (for your home or a commercial project), get in touch with Zaya of HHH.