‘Radical Clay’ ceramics are more than vessels

“Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists From Japan,” the latest exhibition at the Ackland Art Museum, invites visitors to see Japanese ceramics as they have never seen it before. The exhibit focuses on the art of 36 contemporary female Japanese artists. The pieces honor the centuries-long tradition of Japanese ceramics but use modern techniques to evolve the art form.

Women have long been involved in the production of ceramics in Japan, though within the male-dominated industry their participation was largely confined to menial aspects of the process. But since around 1970, many women have been accepted into art academies, leading to an explosion of work less bound by convention.

The pieces in the exhibit come from the collection of noted art collector Carol Horvitz. “This is a female-centric exhibit,” Horvitz said. “It’s never really been done to this scale before.”

Art collector Carol Horvitz visited the Ackland to see her pieces on display. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

The exhibition features pieces from acclaimed Japanese artists such as Kawaura Saki and Tanaka Yu, the creator of the flagship piece “Bag Work,” which evokes textiles through hard clay. It is one of the many examples of how the contemporary pieces simultaneously honor and challenge traditions in Japanese art.

“That piece is the quintessential example of the departure from the vessel,” said Japanese art expert Joe Earle. “It’s a piece that is built around a container, … but these pieces are unique in how they depart from that into purely sculptural form.”

The Ackland is only the third museum in the country to feature the exhibition, following the inaugural showing in Chicago and then nine months in Florida.

Japanese ceramics expert, Joe Earle, spoke about his fondness for the pieces at a preview event on June 5. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Earle finds the Ackland to be a perfect stop for the exhibit, partly because of his respect for the museum but also because visitors can compare the contemporary pieces to the classic Japanese pottery in the Ackland’s permanent collection.

“A stoneware water container made in the 15th century is hand built,” Earle said. “Those were made by being put into a very hot kiln fueled entirely by wood. The magic came from something unpredictable, whereas the contemporary work is just as magical, but far more complicated and thought-out ahead of time.”

“Radical Clay” will be at Ackland through Aug. 31. For Horvitz, attendance should be a given for any Carolina student.

“This is truly incredible art brought right to your home turf,” Horvitz said. “I know a lot of museums, particularly in New York, who wanted to house this exhibit, but we chose the Ackland, and it’s a must-see.”

For visitors who have never seen Japanese ceramic art, Earle hopes that the exhibit will be their first step into falling in love with the art form.

“Some of the oldest Japanese ceramics can be traced back to over 12,000 years ago,” Earle said. “This exhibition only features about 40 years’ worth of work, so it’s an arresting thought that this could be some person’s first exposure to this incredible art.”