The week’s news in the ceramic art world – October 8, 2026

🎌 The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park (SCCP) in Japan is accepting applications for its 2027 Studio Artist program. Part of SCCP’s renowned Artist-in-Residence program, the call is open to ceramic and visual artists seeking time and space to develop their practice in Shigaraki. Around 20 artists will be selected for residencies between April 2027 and March 2028, with stays ranging from a minimum of two months to less than one year. Participants have access to studio facilities, accommodation, and technical guidance, with associated fees. Applications are open until October 31, 2026.

🌿 Hjorths Fabrik in Bornholm, Denmark, offers an Artist-in-Residence program for professional Danish and international artists working with ceramics. Based in the historic factory, which has produced stoneware since 1859, the residency gives artists three months to develop a project alongside the museum’s ongoing ceramic production. The residency admits two artists each year, with stays usually taking place in March–May or September–November. Residents receive accommodation, a creative workspace, and materials within reasonable limits, and are expected to contribute to the local community through an artist talk or event. Applications are due January 10, 2027.

👌 Only a few days remain to apply to Ceramic Art London 2027, which returns to Olympia West Hall from May 6–9, 2027. Produced by the Craft Potters Association, CAL is open to ceramic artists from any country and showcases contemporary ceramics across a wide range of styles. Selected exhibitors will have the opportunity to present and sell their work in a major central London venue. Applications close at midnight on Sunday, October 11, 2026.

🎉 Congratulations to the winners of the sixth edition of the Officine Saffi Award! South African artist Andile Dyalvane received the €10,000 Main Prize for iThwasa (The One Who is Blossoming). The Residency Prizes, the Young Artist Prize by Ottostumm | Mogs, and the Tacchini Prize have also been announced. Selected from more than 1,000 applications from 41 countries, the works of the 28 finalists are on view in Forms of Belonging at Fondazione Officine Saffi in Milan until November 13, 2026.

📍 Ceramic artists are invited to apply for Li Dièle 2027, the international ceramics market held annually in Andenne, Belgium, during Pentecost weekend. The next edition will take place on May 16 and 17, 2027, bringing together more than 70 ceramic artists from Belgium and abroad. The 2027 guest of honor is French ceramic artist Benoît Pouplard. Applications close December 6, 2026.

🗨️ The Museum of Royal Worcester will host an online artist talk with Lisa Sheppy on October 14, 2026, at 6 pm. The free talk accompanies Sheppy’s exhibition Ornament Unbound: Tissue Transferware Reframed and explores how historic transfer printing, archival research, and Worcester porcelain have informed her contemporary ceramic and printmaking practice. Drawing on her doctoral research and the museum’s collections, Sheppy will discuss the exhibition, the role of engraved copper plates and pattern books, and the skilled labor behind Worcester’s ceramic heritage.

⭐ The team behind ceramic brussels has announced ceramic basel, a new international fair dedicated to ceramics and material-based practices. Its first edition will take place from June 15–20, 2027, during Basel Art Week, with around 65 international galleries across two sections: Fire and māteria. ceramic brussels has also announced the five laureates of its 2027 art prize: Daria Kowalewska, Dominik Adamec, Ioulia Chante, Jules Bouteleux, and Sojeong You. Their works will be presented at ceramic brussels, taking place at Tour & Taxis, Brussels, from January 20–24, 2027.

🔥 Grands Feux returns to La Borne, France, from October 17–25, 2026, for its 12th edition. Organized by the Association Céramique La Borne and the Centre céramique contemporaine La Borne, the event celebrates the local ceramic heritage through wood-fired kilns, firings, studio visits, exhibitions, performances, guided tours, talks, and workshops. Visitors can discover both traditional and contemporary ceramic practices, with exchanges taking place around artists’ studios across La Borne. The center will also present exhibitions by Myriam Bouchard and Sangwoo Kim during the festival.

⭐ The second edition of Ceramic Art Fair + Glass takes place October 20–25, 2026. Dedicated to ceramics and glass, the fair brings together international galleries and artists working across the arts of fire, from historic and modern works to contemporary creation. The event includes solo shows, conferences, and a sculptural off-site route in the gardens of the Maison de l’Amérique Latine.

📍 Ceramics is also in the spotlight across several major art and design fairs this month. At PAD London, Adrian Sassoon and PIK’D will present contemporary ceramics within broader design contexts. At Frieze London and Frieze Masters, ceramic works appear in presentations by Jota Mombaça, Eilen Itzel do Espírito Santo, and Maya Hewitt, with Frieze Masters also featuring works by Ken Price, Elizabeth Fritsch, Nicholas Homoky, and Anish Kapoor. Later in the month, some ceramic works will also be on view at Art Basel Paris, including several Lucio Fontana sculptures.

📙 Book recommendation: Contemporary Ceramics: Twenty Key Themes by Jo Taylor. This book offers a unique opportunity to gain technical, practical and professional insights from leading international ceramic practitioners, inviting readers into their studios to understand the realities of daily practice. Organized around 20 accessible themes, it covers topics ranging from sources of inspiration and studio routines to firing techniques and building resilience in a ceramics career. Find the book on Amazon or Blackwell’s (for US readers).