✦ Welcome to Studio Journal ✦
We just turned 41, and we're building a tea brand.
After 2020, we both got made redundant. Instead of looking for another job, we decided to do something a little different: find out what we actually wanted to do.
So we tried. A lot of things. Some worked. Most didn't.
We've gone down many different paths, made plenty of mistakes, changed our minds, started again, and failed more times than we'd probably like to admit. But somewhere along all that trying and failing, we discovered oolong tea.
Especially during those periods of burnout, we realised we needed to slow down and give ourselves a proper tea break. And we're the kind of people who, once we get interested in something, can't just do it halfway.
So we started researching. That's when we discovered the world of artist teaware: beautiful handmade pieces by artists from Asia. We started learning about different types of teaware, the materials, the artists and the history behind them.
And wow, it's a deep rabbit hole. We got obsessed.
So we decided to do something slightly ambitious and organise an exhibition. We brought these beautiful works to Sydney and hosted an event called Thirst (渴) during Sydney Design Week in 2022. We upcycled discarded stone from the city as display stands and wrote directly onto the stone instead of printing flyers. It was our way of doing things a little differently.
We sold over 100 pieces of artist teaware, and our Japanese tea ceremonies and Chinese tea tastings sold out. And that's when something clicked. We realised it wasn't just us.
There were so many people who were curious about tea but didn’t know where to start.
And that's how Toolong Studio began.
“Maybe we could help people find an oolong tea they love, and teaware that makes them happy.”
Before building a tea brand, we decided to travel to Taiwan, China and Japan to meet the artists whose work we loved in person. Discovering craftspeople who still create beautiful, functional pieces by hand was incredibly inspiring.
We also visited tea farms across Taiwan to learn how tea is grown and made, the science behind it, and the art and culture that surrounds it.
And we couldn’t wait to share what we discovered.
So we did it again. We hosted an exhibition called How Do You Drink Your Tea at Collingwood Yards in Melbourne in 2025, showcasing more than 100 pieces of artist teaware alongside Taiwanese oolong tea tastings. It gave us a chance to listen, learn and refine what we wanted Toolong Studio to be.
We’re building this brand at our own pace. Taking the time to experiment, adjust and get the details right. After months of preparing, designing and refining, we’re finally ready to share our tea, artist teaware and everything we’ve been learning along the way.
And if you’d like to see where this goes, come along for the ride.
Here in the Studio Journal, we’ll share notes on tea, what we’re learning, and the art and culture that continues to inspire us. If you’re getting into tea too, stick around.
We wrote this as a little reminder to ourselves that we’re proud we’re still trying, even after six years. And if you’re still searching for your passion after 40, we hope it reminds you that it’s never too late to start.
And if you’d like to make something fun together, we’re always open to collaborations and new ideas. Get in touch → hello@toolongstudio.com
— Marge & Dani, Toolong Studio
