SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- The 32 pieces in New Japanese Clay, presented by the Asian Art Museum Aug. 15, 2025 – Feb. 2, 2026, try defying gravity — and succeed. From a delicate sliver of clay to rugged, organic forms, the exhibition showcases work with novel textures, seemingly impossible silhouettes, and otherworldly shapes by contemporary Japanese ceramicists pushing the boundaries of modern ceramic arts.

New Japanese Clay includes work by 29 artists, most created over the last 20 years, and all gifted to the museum collection by Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner and Dr. David D. Stein. Though rooted in mingei (folk art) and building upon Japan’s long history of pottery and ceramic arts, these works are anything but traditional.

“The artists in New Japanese Clay are challenging the conventions of functional ceramics and pivoting toward a purely sculptural experience,” says Dr. Robert Mintz, Chief Curator and exhibition curator. “Their creations are meant to intrigue and delight; the vessel form is a point of departure for spectacular experimentation. Through a wide range of innovative materials and methods, these artists are reimagining ceramics for the 21st century.”

Oroshi: Mountain Gust (2015) by Kino Satoshi is both a simple form, sleek in its minimalism, and a complex curve seemingly crafted by the forces of nature; in fact, it is carefully engineered to sit upright on a few inches of porcelain. Similarly, Moriyama Kanjiro’s Kai (Turn) (2015) is simultaneously a lesson in abstraction and calculated balance. Elsewhere in the exhibition, works such as Fujikasa Satoko’s Seisei (Plant Growth) (2015), Miwa Kyusetsu XIII’s Kakan—Flower Crown No. 3 (2007), and Miyashita Zenji’s Vase (2012) take inspiration from organic phenomena in their bountiful variety of precisely rendered forms, colors, and textures. Nakamura Takuo’s Wine-colored mizusashi (2009) convincingly appears to be a raw chunk of unrefined stone — but is actually a carefully crafted, lidded vessel made to hold water for use in the Japanese tea ceremony. Meanwhile, pieces such as Fukumoto Fuku’s playfully off-balance but balanced Tsukikage (Moonlight) (2013) meld vessels and plates together in an elegant, unclassifiable hybrid, hinting at functionality while subverting the conventions of clay wares.

Ceramics have experienced a revival in interest globally since the pandemic; in 2021, a BBC feature on this resurgence suggested that “the slow, mindful craft of pottery” was a “perfect antidote” to the accelerated pace and multitasking frenzy of online activities. However, in an ironic twist, this hands-on craft trend has been largely fueled by social media. New Japanese Clay exemplifies the unexpected thriving of this ancient medium in the digital age: many of the featured artists maintain dynamic social media accounts, offering behind-the-scenes looks at their studio process. To connect audiences with artists more directly, exhibition labels include artists’ social media handles, giving visitors the ability to dive more deeply into the art long after they’ve left the gallery. In addition to the collection of contemporary works, most of which have not been presented before, New Japanese Clay includes a small selection of traditional mingei vessels, giving visitors a glimpse at the form’s past and a reference for just how far these artists have come.

“This new generation of potters from Japan would not exist were it not for the pioneering efforts of the 20th-century founders of the mingei movement. Of course, these contemporary artists veer far from the ideals held by their predecessors as they chart their own boldly experimental courses,” says Mintz, who emphasizes that the exhibition aims to foreground the artists behind these works, many of whom are women and most of whom are living.

“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Kempner and Dr. Stein for giving these works to the museum,” says Mintz. “It is a rare opportunity for audiences to see the variety and diversity of contemporary forms and learn about the artists behind them in a single space. We hope the exhibition inspires visitors to slow down and take in both the uniqueness of each piece and the breadth of the collection as a whole.”

New Japanese Clay is organized by the Asian Art Museum. All works on display are from the collection of Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner and Dr. David D. Stein.