CHAPEL HILL. NC.- The Ackland Art Museum is presenting Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan, on view from June 6 through August 31, 2025. The exhibition features 40 stunning works by 36 different artists from across Japan, showcasing the inventiveness and variety of work that is driving the ceramics movement forward.


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The Chicago Tribune selected Radical Clay as a top-ten can’t-miss show of the season. In a separate rave review, the Tribune declared that “many of [Japan’s] most extraordinary ceramic artists are female. Examples by 36 individuals, from groundbreaking senior figures to emerging stars, positively flabbergast. This is work that must be seen to be believed … Uncanny verisimilitude of both nature and culture abound … Delicious.”

While women have historically been under-recognized for their contributions to the ceramics field, this show brings both established and emerging artists to the forefront and focuses on the explosion of innovative and technically ambitious compositions created since 1970.

“There are so many strong contemporary women artists from Japan that are truly pushing the limits in ceramics and clay beyond what we’ve ever seen traditionally,” said Janice Katz, exhibition curator and Roger L. Weston Associate Curator of Japanese Art, the Art Institute of Chicago. “This show brings together artists on the cutting edge of invention in terms of materials, glaze, and technique, and we are thrilled to recognize their contributions to the global ceramics field.”

The creators featured in the show span several generations of contemporary artists, and while they have been featured in other shows, this is the first major exhibition to position these artists together to highlight their collective achievements and impact. Three artists featured in Radical Clay — Mishima Kimiyo (born 1932), Tsuboi Asuka (born 1932), and Ogawa Machiko (born 1946) — began their careers decades ago and continue to produce groundbreaking sculptures that drive the medium of clay in a new direction. Konno Tomoko (born 1965), Aoki Katsuyo (born 1972), and Oishi Sayaka (born 1979) are part of younger generations and are represented by pieces featuring bodily distortion and fantastical decoration. These women have routinely confronted expectations about their practice and often refuse gender-imposed constraints in their work, approaching subjects in unconventional ways.

“The Ackland is thrilled to be presenting this astonishing and inspiring exhibition, one that connects so well with our enduring interests in modern Japanese art and in world ceramics,” said Carolyn Allmendinger, interim director. “With its strong tradition in clay, we expect audiences in North Carolina especially to be intrigued and excited by the invention and creativity on display. We gratefully acknowledge the support of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, long-standing friends of the Ackland Art Museum, for making these extraordinary works available.”

The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalog with essays and insights by Janice Katz, Joe Earle, and Hollis Goodall. Additionally, bringing these artists to global attention has been made possible by the generous collaboration with Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, who shared all of the works in the show from their exemplary collection.



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