The Asian Art Museum showcases a new generation of ceramics with 'New Japanese Clay.'

Infused with color and sculptural audacity, contemporary Japanese ceramics reveal a boundless reimagining of clay. In New Japanese Clay at the Asian Art Museum, some rugged forms recall stone and soil, while others unfold with the delicacy of paper or the airiness of billowing cloth.

Vibrant, elegant, and unconventional, these ceramic works will surprise you with a variety of diverse, experimental techniques. Together, they push the boundaries of a centuries-old tradition.

“The artists in New Japanese Clay are challenging the conventions of functional ceramics and pivoting toward a purely sculptural experience,” says the Asian Art Museum’s chief curator and curator of this exhibition, Dr. Robert Mintz. “Their creations are meant to intrigue and delight; the vessel form is just a point of departure for spectacular experimentation.”

Works such as Fujikasa Satoko’s Seisei (Plant Growth) (2015), Miwa Kyusetsu XIII’s Kakan—Flower Crown No. 3 (2007), and Miyashita Zenji’s Vase (2012) take inspiration from the precisely rendered forms, colors, and textures of organic phenomena.

Fukumoto Fuku’s playfully off-balance-balanced Tsukikage (Moonlight) (2013) melds vessels and plates into an elegant, unclassifiable hybrid, cheekily hinting at familiar forms while subverting expectations of functionality.

Ceramics have experienced a global revival in interest since the pandemic—“the slow, mindful craft” of it, something the BBC has suggested is a “perfect antidote” to the accelerated pace and multitasking frenzy of online activities. Ironically, the hands-on trend has been largely fueled by social media.

New Japanese Clay exemplifies the thriving of this ancient medium in the digital age: Many of the featured artists maintain social media accounts that offer behind-the-scenes looks at their studio process. To connect audiences with them more directly, the exhibition labels their handles, encouraging visitors to dive deeper after they’ve left the gallery.

“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,” notes Mintz. “Through a wide range of innovative materials and methods, these artists are reimagining ceramics for the 21st century.”