In the heart of Dubai’s vibrant creative scene, Mayra Correa, a Peruvian ceramic artist and founder of Studio Many Moons, has forged a reputation for ceramics that embody soul, purpose, and presence. Rooted in her own multicultural perspective and an intuitive bond with nature, Mayra’s self-taught artistry infuses every piece with a quiet strength and mindful intention. From sculptural collections to functional designs, Studio Many Moons crafts ceramics that seek not only to enrich spaces but also to foster profound connections between object and user.
Below, Art&Gulf Magazine explores Mayra’s journey, influences, and insights in an illuminating interview.
1. Echoes of the Desert is your latest sculptural collection, inspired by UAE’s landscapes and architectural heritage. Can you share how your experience of living in Dubai for over a decade has shaped your artistic vision and this particular body of work?
Dubai is full of contrasts, always moving, always building and growing but if you pause and look beyond the surface, time starts to feel still. That’s where I find inspiration. The desert’s quiet movement, the shifting light, the rhythm of the sea… they’ve shaped the way I connect with form and space. At the same time, the cultural richness here… the repetition in Islamic architecture, the intention in design, the respect for craft has deeply influenced my eye. Echoes of the Desert is a reflection of all that: a slow, intentional response to a place that holds both silence and story.
People tend to see Dubai as a city of glass and speed, but there’s a deep, grounding beauty in its natural elements. I’m especially drawn to sand whether from the desert or the shore, it holds something ancient and mystical.
2. Your pieces pay homage to the serene beauty of mosques and the ever-shifting sands of the desert. What elements from UAE’s cultural or natural environment do you find yourself most drawn to, and how do you translate them into your ceramic art?
Echoes of the Desert is a homage to the land, to the culture and the nature that the UAE embodies, and that is often misunderstood or overlooked. People tend to see Dubai as a city of glass and speed, but there’s a deep, grounding beauty in its natural elements. I’m especially drawn to sand whether from the desert or the shore, it holds something ancient and mystical. The beaches are where I feel most connected, but the desert has its own silence and rhythm that shapes you. I’m also inspired by the contrast between the rawness of the land and the geometry of its architecture. In my work, I try to bring those worlds together; elegant but organic, structured yet soft.
Echoes of the dessert pieces
3. As a self-taught artist originally from Peru, how has your multicultural background influenced your creative process and the themes you explore at Studio Many Moons?
Peruvian culture has a deep and ancestral relationship with craft, specially ceramics. it’s in our roots, in the way we express ourselves with our hands to tell stories. I feel like I carry that within me, almost instinctively. Even though I’m self-taught, there’s something familiar about working with clay — as if I’m remembering rather than learning. That connection to my culture influences the way I create: intuitively, rhythmically, and with intention. It’s not just about making something; it’s about feeling it, letting it come through and like having a conversation with the medium. Clay feels alive to me. It teaches patience, presence, and surrender. And at the heart of it, it’s always about connection, repetition, and letting the medium guide the experience.
4. The process of turning ideas into tangible art is unique for every artist. Can you describe your creative journey from initial inspiration to final sculptural piece? Are there any rituals or practices that help you during this process?
Every process is different whether I’m creating a collection or working on a commission, I need to sit with the idea first, let it settle in my body until I feel ready to shape it. There’s always a moment of sinking in, of listening before I begin to communicate through form.
My inspiration always comes from nature; its colors, its textures, its effortless beauty. I don’t usually sketch; I prefer to let the clay speak, to guide the flow. With Echoes if the Desert, it was a very particular process. I spent time meditating on what I wanted to express, and in a flash, memories of my years here came rushing in… the architecture, the desert, the mosques, the ocean, the light, the streets of Jumeirah… and from that, the shapes began to emerge, as if rising from the sand. That’s how the collection came to life before it even existed.
Even though I’m self-taught, there’s something familiar about working with clay — as if I’m remembering rather than learning. That connection to my culture influences the way I create: intuitively, rhythmically, and with intention. It’s not just about making something; it’s about feeling it, letting it come through and like having a conversation with the medium.
Pieces recently fired
5. Studio Many Moons has resonated with art lovers in the UAE and beyond. How do you hope your work impacts viewers, and what stories or emotions do you aim to evoke through your ceramics?
I hope my work creates space to pause, to feel, to be present. Whether it’s a sculpture or a cup, I want people to connect with the energy behind it. Each piece holds intention, care, and a sense of grounding. If someone feels something like peace, curiosity, or even just a moment of appreciation then the piece has done its job.
To experience Mayra Correa’s ceramics is to witness art that bridges places and cultures, inviting us all to slow down, reflect, and find connection. Her hands give shape to both tradition and modernity, each piece a soulful tribute to the landscapes and stories that inspire her journey.
