Roll it. Coil it. Flatten it. Carve it. Glaze it. Fire it. How many ways are there to transform clay? Throughout history, cultures around the world have sculpted and heated clay. From vessels, which can hold something, to decorative objects, these are known as ceramics.
How can artists today keep a medium that’s thousands of years old interesting? The contemporary ceramicists, people who make ceramics, featured here explore and push the relationship between form—how an object looks—and function—what it’s used for. They take risks, build on tradition, and expand the possibilities of this ancient medium.