Editor’s Pick

“These ceramics have an otherworldly beauty, part sculpture but curling from an ancient tradition with shapes like ancient wind carved stones, dayglow gourdfruits, inked eggs crackling into turquoise, sunsetting beehives licked by faded tie dyes, surreal seashells Sally only wish she could sell by the seashore. Here, a new generation of Japanese makers spin clay into forms that honor the mingei masters while charting territories where tradition becomes pure invention, each piece a whispered revolution fired into delicate permanence.”

-Andrew Berardini

About the Exhibition

Infused with color and sculptural audacity, contemporary Japanese ceramics reveal a boundless reimagining of clay. In New Japanese Clay, rugged forms recall stone and soil, while others unfold with the delicacy of paper or the airiness of billowing cloth. Together, these works push the boundaries of a centuries-old tradition, offering a striking redefinition of the medium’s expressive potential.

The exhibition also introduces visitors to the makers behind the works on view. “This new generation of potters from Japan are building on the legacy of the mingei (folk art) movement while charting their own boldly experimental courses,” says Chief Curator and exhibition curator Dr. Robert Mintz, who notes that many of the featured artists maintain social media accounts offering behind-the-scenes looks at their studio process.

“The artists in New Japanese Clay are challenging the conventions of functional ceramics and pivoting toward a purely sculptural experience,” Dr. Mintz notes. “Their creations are meant to intrigue and delight; the vessel form is just a point of departure for spectacular experimentation. Through a wide range of innovative materials and methods, these artists are reimagining ceramics for the 21st century.”