Articles

By Elaine Henry Diversity has many faces. The online Cambridge Dictionary defines diversity as “many different types of things or people being included in something; a range of different things or people.” When, at the 1991 NCECA conference, Bobby Scroggins noticed the lack of black and brown faces, he rallied several attendees, including Imna Arroyo, Greg Busceme, Stephen Carter, Dora...

By James Young Walking up the stairs into the upper floor ceramics gallery of Goldmark, a frequent visitor might be slightly disoriented. Instead of the bright gallery space with brilliant white walls, one encounters black walls with spotlights shining on plinths, shelving and varying displays across the room. Reminiscent of the department store ceramic galleries in Tokyo, Goldmark has turned...

By Katherina Perlongo For one weekend in June, a former drugstore tucked inside a shopping mall in Berlin’s Wedding district was transformed into a vibrant showcase of contemporary ceramic art. The works of 23 artists filled the space, offering a rare and compelling glimpse into Berlin’s quietly thriving but often overlooked ceramics scene. Formed marked the first public expression of...

By Cammi Climaco Michelle Im's first solo show at DIMIN gallery coincidentally comes right when the news algorithm is reporting story after story of people behaving badly on airplanes. Air travel apparently brings out the absolute worst in people. When I walked into Michelle's show, her sculptures of Korean female flight attendants were right on time. The eight sculptures, each...

By Graciela Olio This article focuses on establishing criteria for analysis and reflections on the place of contemporary ceramics within the framework of current arts in all their media and languages. Within these axes are the post-disciplinary approaches, among which we can analyze a neo-category that we can call post-ceramics. A series of questions about ceramics in contemporary art challenge...

By Nigel Atkins Put simply, this is an exhibition of Pekka Paikkari's ceramic art deliberately set among one of the most extensive permanent collections of Gallic and Mediterranean pottery in one of France's most delightful provincial museums. The Ensérune Archaeological Museum crowns a rocky outcrop some thirteen kilometers west of Béziers. In 2022, the Museum enjoyed a brilliantly designed renovation...

By Monica Monaia “I am human because I belong.”Archbishop Desmond Tutu South Africa, with its rich diversity of ethnicities, is often seen as a place of cultural convergence. Art, in its many forms, holds a significant place in the country's cultural landscape. It is also home to a vibrant community of ceramicists, where traditional and contemporary practices intersect in dynamic...

By Emma Park Appreciation of traditional and contemporary crafts is booming in London, and ceramics is comfortably established as one of the most popular. This was demonstrated in May by two of the highlights of the city’s art calendar, London Craft Week (12-18 May) and Ceramic Art London (9-11 May). London Craft Week (LCW), in its eleventh edition this year,...

Alive & Unfolding contemporary ceramics exhibition is on view at le Delta, Namur May 17 - August 17, 2025 Le Delta is thrilled to present Alive & Unfolding, a contemporary ceramics exhibition featuring the works of twenty-two artists from fourteen countries. Curated by Vasi Hirdo, the founder of Ceramics Now, the exhibition is organized as part of the Perspectives Festival...

In 2025, Ceramic Art Andenne enters a new chapter under the name Perspectives Festival, a title that reflects a deepened commitment to highlight contemporary ceramic art practices. Conceived as a triennial, this year's festival brings together over one hundred artists from around the world in eight exhibitions across Andenne, Belgium. This year's edition stands out for its strong program and...

History: A Legacy in Motion. Alfred Ceramic Art 1900-2025 is on view at the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum at Alfred University, New York May 8 - December 14, 2025 One hundred and twenty-five years ago Charles Fergus Binns was invited to become the first director of a new initiative at Alfred University, the New York School of Clay-Working and Ceramics....

By Unu Sohn There is the illusion that coming of age is a singular occurrence in a person’s lifetime. We each supposedly transition from child to adult and join a collective of fully developed, grown people capable of regularly changing the duvet cover and filing taxes. We know who the right person to marry is and how to cook a...

By Joshua G. Stein Objecthood is complicated. At first, we might assume that we easily know how to draw the profile of a tree. Maybe we understand that in the interest of time we might not be able to outline every single branch, every single leaf, or every single root, but with enough time we imagine we can trace this...

Part I. Introduction In a time when the fragility of our planet is more evident than ever, clay offers a medium for reflection and inquiry. Curated by Julia Ellen Lancaster, The Whole World in Our Hands brings together six women sculptors who work with clay to explore themes of ecology, material histories, and human responsibility. Timed to coincide with Earth...

By Tontouristen Kollektiv A contemporary and popular idea about clay and ceramics is of a romantic character. It is associated with slow movement, the field of small-scale business, handmade juxtaposed to industrial, therapeutic, and healing: a justified way to navigate in this time of heavy materialistic and commercial reality. Clay is also mistaken to be sustainable, harmless, and 'pure' –...

By Cammy Climaco By the time Covid protocols were over in 2021, Ceramics was at its height of popularity. More and more fine artists were using it as a medium, Instagram had created a community of ceramics gazing, and Seth Rogan built a home studio. When the Clay Pop show, curated by Alia Dahl (née Williams), opened at Jeffrey Deitch...

By Rita Mikučionytė I believe the acronym TARP, chosen by the organisers of last year’s ceramic art biennial, is a thoughtful and forward-looking decision. It reflects both the multi-layered nature of the event and the inevitable creative diversity brought by its forty-four participants. Naturally, I cannot fully address all twelve key concepts proposed by the ARKA Gallery and the Section...

By Nancy M. Servis “The point of art is not to make maps but to adventure.”Jim Ede, in Laura Freeman, Ways of Life: Jim Ede and the Kettle’s Yard Artists (London: Jonathan Cape, 2023), 240.Jim Ede The nature of collecting can be described as an impulsive urge, a planned strategy, or a cultural wayfinding. Whether by museums or individuals, collecting...

By Anne-Brit Soma Reienes and Per Ditlef Fredriksen Who or what is the source of creativity when working with clay? In this essay we reflect on the outcomes of a collaboration between a ceramic artist engaging in performative pedagogy and an archaeologist working with contemporary material knowledges. Seeking a common conceptual ground, we explore the unruly outcomes of creativity in...

By Benjamin Evans To say that the theme of “duality” is at the core of Li Hongwei’s elegant body of sculpture is, at best, an understatement. Here is a partial list of some of the binary oppositions at play in his work: Old vs. new, East vs. West, hand-made vs. industrial, delicate vs. strong, Yin vs. Yang, functional vessel vs....