Welcome to Part 2 of our series where we celebrate Black History Month by highlighting the important artistic contributions of Black ceramic artists! Earlier this month we looked at four creative pioneers of the past. For this week’s article, we’re shifting our gaze to artists making their mark both today and for the future.

In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary ceramics, the work of Black artists has been instrumental in shaping narratives, challenging conventions, and infusing the craft with a breadth of perspectives. It’s an honor to spotlight eight exceptionally talented Black artists who are pushing boundaries, redefining traditions, and leaving an indelible mark on the artistic landscape. The value of art transcends color of skin and the contributions of Black artists provides perspective not only on the unique experience of Blackness, but also many other complex themes in the world. Each with a unique voice, these creators draw inspiration from their diverse experiences, cultural heritage, and personal narratives, weaving stories that resonate far beyond the confines of the studio. Join us on this exploration as we celebrate the brilliance, innovation, and profound impact of these contemporary ceramic artists!

Simone Leigh

https://matthewmarks.com/artists/simone-leigh

Named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People for 2023, Leigh’s impact on the world of ceramics, and the art world at large, is hard to ignore. With a broad body of work encompassing video, installation, and bronze in addition to ceramics, Leigh describes her work as being auto-ethnographic, with an eye towards Black female subjectivity and an interest in the complex interplays between various strands of history. 

Beginning her art career in the early 2000s, Leigh has gone on to complete a number of residencies, national and international exhibitions, as well as receiving a number of notable awards and fellowships. Of these, she is best known for not only being the first Black woman selected to represent the US at the Venice Biennale in 2022, but for receiving the event’s prestigious Golden Lion Prize. She has had a number of solo museum exhibitions, including at the Guggenheim Museum, New York; The Tate Gallery, London; the Studio Museum, Harlem; and the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles.

David MacDonald

https://www.davidmacdonaldpottery.com/about

Born in 1945 in New Jersey, MacDonald is known for his beautiful vessel forms that are both an “articulation of the magnificence and nobility of the human spirit; and a celebration of [his] African heritage.” While his early work was marked by an interest in the Black experience in America and the use of ceramics as a form of social protest, after completing his Masters of Fine Art from the University of Michigan he began a focused investigation into East- and South-African art and culture. It was through this that he became fascinated by the extent to which surface decoration, mark making, and pattern making were applied to every conceivable object. This interest can clearly be seen in his richly decorated surfaces which now make his work instantly identifiable. Today his work is featured in the permanent collections of The Studio Museum in Harlem, Montclair Art Museum, and Everson Museum of Art, as well as being showcased in numerous private galleries.

In addition to his success as a maker, MacDonald also gave back to the ceramics community through his teaching position at the School of Art and Design at Syracuse University, where he taught from 1971-2008. His work as an educator was recognized in 2011, when he received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA).

Adero Willard

https://aderowillard.com/

New York-born artist Adero Willard has been working in clay for over 25 years, creating a broad range of work united by complex surfaces and an elegant use of pattern. With a BFA from Alfred University and MFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Willard points to a broad range of influences in her work, ranging from the Harlem Renaissance, to Dutch Wax Cloth, to Afrofuturism. Of her work, Willard states: “I consider my artistic journey to be an exploration through clay, where each piece contains clues to its deeper meaning, expressed through carefully crafted titles and descriptions that evoke the fluidity of cultural, racial, gender, and sexuality identities.” Her work has been exhibited at numerous exhibitions internationally, as well as being featured in a number of books.

Currently an assistant professor of ceramics at California State University Sacramento, Willard is committed to equity and inclusion work, and while a visiting assistant professor in ceramics was a faculty co-facilitator for IDEA lab, an anti-racism and anti-bias program at Alfred university. She is also a co-founder of the non-profit outreach organization POW! Pots on Wheels, and is committed to diversity and anti-hierarchical approaches to teaching in the field of ceramics.

Malcolm Mobutu Smith

http://www.malcolmmobutusmith.com

Another artist/educator, Smith completed undergraduate studies at Kansas City Art Institute and Penn State University, before going on to complete his MFA in Ceramics at Alfred University in 1996. His complex and energetic vessels are strongly influenced by jazz and hip hop, and their profound impact on American society. As a hip hop artist himself, he credits the artform for facilitating the improvisational approach to his work. “All my work is a riffing on vessel hood, color, linear and graphic—not to mention the mixing board of art historical reference from the mélange of world cultures that America brings together.”  

Smith’s work has been exhibited at numerous public and private galleries, and is part of the permanent collections at Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, FuLed International Ceramic Art Museum, the Haan Museum, the Indiana State Museum, and the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum. He is a current Associate Professor of Ceramic Art at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Ranti Bam

https://www.instagram.com/baamtii/?hl=en-gb

Bam is a Nigerian-British artist best known for her hand-built terracotta forms inspired by texture, textiles and words. Working with clay “like it’s fabric – cutting, stitching, constructing, assembling,” Bam’s pieces often feature elegantly overlaid engobe patterns, though in other instances are presented undecorated to highlight the folds and creases created by her act of physically embracing the works. 

Bam received an MA from The Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design, London and continued on to complete the City Lit Ceramics Degree course. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at this past year’s British Ceramic Biennial, and Liverpool Biennale. She has participated in a number of international residencies, and has works in the permanent collections of the V&A and the Brooklyn Museum.

Morel Doucet

https://www.moreldoucet.com/

Doucet is a Haitian-born artist based in Miami whose vibrant work reflects issues of gentrification, transnational identity, and the climate crisis. Of his ornate creations he states, “I consider many of my pieces to be double-edged swords, enticing, and luring the viewer with beauty while reminding them of their destruction and complacency of the dying environment.” 

Doucet’s multimedia practice features a strong use of ceramics, having graduated from the New World School of the Arts with the Distinguished Dean’s Award for Ceramics, and going on to complete his BFA in Ceramics with a minor in creative writing and a concentration in illustration. His work has been exhibited extensively, including at the Design Museum of Chicago (2023), the Venice Biennale (2022), the Havana Biennial (2019), and the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, Miami, FL (2019).

Paul S Briggs

https://psbriggs.com/

Briggs is a New York-born artist whose sculptural work focuses primarily on hand building. Creating graceful forms inspired by nature, Briggs expresses an interest in balance and equality, and “raises questions about the possibility of ongoing equanimity in the face of a failing infrastructure and are formally, metaphorically and often literally on the edge.”

Briggs is an artist-teacher, having earned an MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art, an MSED from Alfred University and a PhD in Art Education/Educational Theory and Policy from the Pennsylvania State University. He has taught extensively across the US and has also exhibited work widely across the States and abroad. His work is featured in the collections of the Museum of Fine Art Boston, Louisiana State University Museum of Art, and the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Dame Magdalene Odundo DBE

https://anthonyslayter-ralph.com/magdalene-odundo

This list would not be complete without the esteemed Odundo. Kenyan-born and UK-based, Odundo has made an indelible mark on the international ceramics world through her graceful coil-built and burnished vessels that are instantly recognizable for their human-like forms. With an extensive arts education that includes degrees from West Surrey College of Art & Design (now University for the Creative Arts), the Pottery Training Centre in Abuja, and the Royal College of Art in London, among others, Odundo is currently Emerita professor and Chancellor for the University for the Creative Arts.

Odundo’s work has been exhibited at numerous solo exhibitions around the world, with a current exhibition now on display at the Gardiner Museum, Toronto. Her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of African Art in Washington DC, the Hepworth Wakefield, and many more. 

As we wrap up our exploration of contemporary Black ceramic artists, we’ve witnessed the dynamic impact and innovation these creators bring to the world of ceramics. The eight artists we’ve spotlighted stand out for their unique voices, pushing boundaries and redefining traditions with creativity that transcends cultural lines. Beyond offering insights into the diverse experiences of Blackness, their work touches on universal themes that resonate widely and contribute to a rich artistic landscape, challenging conventions and shaping narratives. 

It has been an immense challenge to limit this list to just eight ceramicists, so please let us know in the comments below if there are other artists you’d like to celebrate!