The International Biennial of Artistic Ceramics of Aveiro aims to contribute to the production of contemporary artistic ceramics through the stimulation of experimentation and creativity. It aims to develop knowledge of new ceramic tendencies and techniques. It seeks to promote the formation of audiences aware of this field and cultural development and to facilitate the connexion of artists with the local ceramic industry, seeking opportunities for both sectors. The Biennial, through its program, aims for dialogue and sharing, to act as a disseminator of currents and concepts, opening paths in the field of contemporary artistic ceramics, contributing within the framework of the aesthetic renewal that has been observed, and revealing new materials and techniques.
The Biennial offers an opportunity for every category of makers, established or emergent artists, to exhibit and enter a peer-reviewed catalog. The Biennial has taken place since 1989 and has been evolving through time. Torbjørn Kvasbø, President of the Biennial Jury in 2019 and President of the International Academy of Ceramics, stated, “your artwork represents a rich diversity, great variation in content, expression, size, form, color, structure and textures, and use of the clay material and ceramic techniques as language. Innovative, experimental, and critical. […] Please continue to apply; send images of your work. Show the world who you are and what you make!”.
The last edition took place in 2021 and reached 298 artists applying with 477 works. Selected for the Biennial exhibition and catalog, a selection made by an international jury, were a total of 128 works, from 113 artists, from all over the world, from 58 different nationalities and displaying the extraordinary richness of the ceramic material and the multiple ways it can be transformed by imagination and creativity.
The International Biennial of Artist Ceramics of Aveiro is not just an exhibition and catalog; it includes a program with seminars and conferences, activities for children and families, workshops for artists, an artistic residency, and individual exhibitions from ceramic artists.
All Aveiro is involved in the Biennial, with exhibitions and events happening in all local museums and cultural spaces. We are made of clay, the soil of our city, our roots, and heritage, but most importantly, our future with the local ceramic industry cluster, with the research in the Ceramic Department of Aveiro University, and with culture and the artists leading the way.
Considering this background and facilitating the promotion of ceramics and ceramic artists, Aveiro joined the International Ceramics Academy and the European Route of Ceramics and aims to exchange and network with other cities, institutions, artists, and Biennials as we are all intertwined with clay.
The Aveiro Municipality, through the Aveiro Museums, is in charge of the organization of the Biennial. The organization works to provide broad exposure for the artists in social media and editing a professional catalog, analog and digital.
The call for the next edition will be open between January 1st and February 10th, 2023, and we invite you to participate!
Previous Winners
