Hey there, ceramics enthusiasts! It’s an exciting year for pottery as we unveil the 23 ceramic artists to watch in 2023. The Ceramic School is thrilled to showcase these talented artists who are making significant contributions to the craft of ceramics through their unique creative processes and innovative designs.
From those carving out new paths with their intricate designs to those pushing the boundaries of experimental techniques, whose works of art are finding themselves in spaces beyond the traditional applied arts realm, we can’t wait to see where their creative journeys take them next.
Whether you’re a seasoned ceramicist or just starting out, we invite you to join us as we dive into the worlds of these 23 artists. Their passion for the craft and dedication to their art will surely spark your imagination and ignite a newfound appreciation for the beauty of ceramics. We’re sure their work will inspire you and deepen your appreciation for clay and all the stories it holds.
Let’s get fired up!
Chanakarn Semachai
“Eye Closer,” White stoneware, underglaze, glaze, luster, cone 6, 8 x 6.5 x 14″h
Thai artist Chanakarn Semachai, also known as Punch, creates whimsical clay sculptures that explore identity and multiculturalism through cartoon-like scenes that reflect the surreal and humorous nature of the everyday human experience.
Discover Chanakarn Semachai in The Ceramics Directory!
Jeffrey Sun Young Park
Lost Dokkaebis
Jeffery Sun Young Park, a queer Corean artist based in Los Angeles, is gaining recognition in the ceramics world with his stunning handbuilt, stoneware Dokkaebis, inspired by mischievous Corean folklore spirits that serve as a tribute to radical queer Coreans who challenged societal norms and fought for their rightful place in the world.
*Park notes that ‘Corean’ was the original spelling of ‘Korean’ before colonization.
Discover Jeffrey Sun Young Park in The Ceramics Directory!
Malene Hartmann Rasmussen
Fantasma [Ghost] (2019)
Danish artist Malene Hartmann Rasmussen creates expansive mixed-media ceramic installations, primarily focusing on narrative figurative sculpture and showcasing a plethora of visual elements that feature fairy tale creatures concealed in dark woods. Rasmussen finds inspiration in the repeated appearance of forests in European literature and myth, ancient cults, and pagan rituals that serve as a metaphor for the hidden domains of the subconscious mind.
Discover Malene Hartmann Rasmussen in The Ceramics Directory!
Julissa Llosa Vite
“Re-membering”
Julissa Llosa Vite, a New York City-based artist who grew up in Callao, Peru, draws inspiration from ceremonial graves and ancient ceramic vessels, creating artwork that pays homage to their cultural background and invites ceremonial reconstitution and rebirth into the creative process, serving as an inspiration to explore our ancestral connections.
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Daniel Dooreck
“Cowboy Potatoes”
Daniel Dooreck, the founder of Danny D’s Mud Shop in Los Angeles, California, creates unique, hand-carved pottery pieces inspired by motorcycle culture and tattoo art while showcasing his technical skills and dedication to the craft, garnering him a notable following on Instagram in just a year of business.
Discover Daniel Dooreck in The Ceramics Directory!
Stephanie Phillips
Unearthly Things
Stephanie Phillips employs her own unique combination of clays, glazes, and oxides to craft curved vessels that embody her childhood fondness for native flora and the Australian bush, showcasing a delightful array of abstract versions of architectural flowers and whimsical prehistoric shapes.
Discover Stephanie Phillips in The Ceramics Directory!
Bisila Noha
“Ignis: The materiality of the self”
Bisila Noha is a Spanish ceramic artist based in London whose minimalist abstract landscapes and sculptural pieces draw inspiration from her Spanish and Equatorial Guinean heritage. Noha aims to challenge Western views on art and craft, question productivity in capitalist societies, and reflect on the idea of home and oneness from a bi-cultural lens.
Discover Bisila Noha in The Ceramics Directory!
Katie Rose Johnston
“Seed Curiosity Cloud”
Katie Rose Johnston creates ceramic alters out of wild clay for the ancient artifacts and natural curiosities she forages, inspired by her love for archaeology, natural sciences, and the windswept landscape of her birthplace in the Shetland Islands in Scotland.
Discover Katie Rose Johnston in The Ceramics Directory!
Raina Lee
From the exhibition, “Homeworld”, Image courtesy of: Surface Magazine
Raina Lee is a ceramic artist who works out of her treehouse in Los Angeles, California, experimenting with glaze chemistry in order to create unique, layered landscapes that draw inspiration from abstract art, often eliciting visceral reactions from the viewer, whether they be joy, revulsion, or a brilliant combination of both.
Discover Raina Lee in The Ceramics Directory!
Cecil Kemperink
“Something Sweet in the Wind”
Cecil Kemperink, a ceramic artist and textile graduate, produces dynamic sculptures using multi-colored ceramic chains that function as garments, kinetic sculptures, or acoustic forms in her performances, short videos, and photography.
Discover Cecil Kemperink in The Ceramics Directory!
Joana Prtyka
“A Really Good Worker,” stoneware, glaze, and gold lustre, 15.5x7cm
Joana Prtyka is an Australian ceramicist who uses her art as a medium to express her anger and frustration toward government inaction on climate change and gender discrimination, creating powerful ‘vessels of rage’ that capture raw emotion and vulnerability, all while taking risks through the experimental process of glazing and firing her works.
Discover Joana Partyka in The Ceramics Directory!
Ebitenyefa Baralaye
“Black & Blue I,” stoneware, glaze, 26″ x 15″ x 15″, 2022
Ebitenyefa Baralaye explores the fragmented and transitional nature of identity in contemporary society, producing installations and objects that challenge conventional definitions of place, state, and spirituality through the layering of culture, context, and desire. Their use of both natural and synthetic materials, combined with a process that balances preliminary planning and intuitive discovery, creates psychologically potent objects that blur the lines between collective and individual representation while positioning design and function as ways of feeling within ways of ordering.
Discover Ebitenyefa Baralaye in The Ceramics Directory!
Dirk Staschke
“Architecture of an Ending,” Ceramic, wood, LED, 28”x21”x24”, 2019
Dirk Staschke’s lifelike sculptures, which overflow with material excess, invite the viewer to explore the ways in which human desire can lead to catastrophic consequences, both for ourselves and our relationships with others and the world around us.
Discover Dirk Staschke in The Ceramics Directory!
Natalia Arbelaez
Passages of Absence
Natalia Arbeleaz’s autobiographical work combines personal narratives and surrealist expressions to illustrate the experience of being Mestizo, Colombian, and American while also exploring the undervalued histories of Latin American, Amerindian, and Women of Color through the use of craft and clay.
Discover Natalia Arbelaez in The Ceramics Directory!
Noe Kuremoto
“Show 6,” Black stoneware, H: 48cm W: 28cm D: 17cm (approximately)
Noe Kuremoto is a talented ceramic artist known for her handmade sculptures that blend childlike simplicity with contemporary sophistication, drawing inspiration from ancient Japanese clay figurines and her cultural heritage to invite the spirit of nature into people’s homes. Her pieces represent a deep connection to childhood memories, and her capacity to materialize imaginative concepts into captivating artworks makes her a noteworthy artist to watch.
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Claire Curneen
“Portent,” 2013, black stoneware, 35h x 88w x 39d cm, photo credit: Dewi Tannatt Lloyd
Claire Curneen’s poignant ceramic sculptures offer profound reflections on the human condition, portraying universal themes of loss, suffering, and sacrifice through exquisitely textured porcelain, terracotta, and black stoneware, carrying bold narratives that explore themes of death, rebirth, and the sublime.
Discover Claire Curneen in The Ceramics Directory!
Glen Martin Taylor
“Teacup in Chains”
Glen Martin Taylor is a ceramic artist who draws inspiration from the Japanese art of Kintsugi. He creates works by repairing and reassembling ceramics with everyday objects, allowing him to confront and express his emotions while creating pieces that retain their importance even after losing their primary function.
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Ella Mendoza
“For Your Convenience… Store (Shed pounds in 1 bite!),” 2018, 3.50 x 6 x 1.50 in / 8.89 x 15.24 x 3.81 cm (horizontal pack), gas-fired stoneware
Ella Mendoza’s ceramic sculptures derive inspiration from mundane objects, effectively blurring the distinction between function and sculpture. Her satirical compositions poignantly scrutinize contemporary culture and its surrounding milieu.
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Beth Lo
“To-Go”
Beth Lo’s ceramic and mixed media artwork reflects her Asian-American background and parenting experiences, often focusing on childhood and family themes while incorporating traditional Asian aesthetics such as calligraphy, origami, and Ming and Tang dynasty ceramics. Her work delves into issues of cultural marginality and blending, language, and translation, using a childlike perspective to symbolize innocence, potential, and vulnerability.
Discover Beth Lo in The Ceramics Directory!
Jonathan Yamakami
Handbuilt Sculptural Paper Clay Vase in Cream Color
Jonathan Yamakami, a Brazilian-born Japanese artist and graphic designer, has garnered attention for his ceramic work since discovering pottery in 2017. Drawing inspiration from the forms of sea creatures, botanical life, and geological formations, as well as memories from his childhood in Brazil, Yamakami’s hand-built and wheel-thrown vessels blend sculpture and function to create pieces that are both innovative and versatile.
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Shiyuan Xu
“One #2,” 2014, Porcelain, 13.5 × 5 ×15 inch
Shiyuan Xu creates sculptural forms inspired by microscopic organisms and scientific phenomena, using porcelain paperclay and unconventional glazing techniques to push the boundaries of fragility and complexity. Xu’s work reflects a blend of cultural influences and personal experiences, offering a new perspective on the classic Chinese ceramic color palette and capturing the intricacy and delicacy of life itself.
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Ibrahim Said
“Reflection,” 2019, White Earthenware, 28.75″ x 10″ x 8.5″
Ibrahim Said, a renowned potter from a long line of potters in Fustat, Cairo, draws inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of Egypt and ancient Egyptian work, translating it into elegant and sophisticated vases. Said’s signature work embodies a sense of lightness and delicate finials that showcase his technical ability, creativity, and innovation in the field of ceramics.
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Sin-Ying Ho
“Past and Present,” Porcelain, high fire reduction, hand-painted cobalt pigment, computer decal transfer, terra sigillata, H 15″ x D 9″
Ho Sin-Ying explores the collision of Eastern and Western culture and the negotiation of identity through her porcelain vessels, incorporating traditional techniques and symbols with contemporary digital decal printing. Her work invites contemplation and raises questions about the meaning and patterns of human endeavors in a world moving toward globalization.
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