Wandering by Hattori Makiko. Porcelaneous stoneware applied with shaved clay. Provided photo.

Uncover an era of artwork at The Ringling Museum of Art. On view until May 11, The Ringling’s exhibition Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan gives audiences a peek into the jaw-dropping work of Japanese ceramicists. Radical Clay, originally curated by Janice Katz, the curator of Japanese art at the Art Institute of Chicago, features 41 ceramic sculptures from 36 female Japanese artists. The exhibition, which defies expectations of what ceramic artwork can be, is a testament to the rich history of Japanese ceramicists and the trailblazing women who paved the way for the artists of today.

Like the artists featured in the exhibition, the artwork featured in Radical Clay does not adhere to one style or material. A piece such as Tanaka Yu’s Bagwork, which resembles a lifelike fabric bag, made from glazed Shigaraki stoneware, can be seen along Hattori Makiko’s Wandering, a spherical sculpture made from porcelaneous stoneware applied with shaved clay.

“She takes these really tiny shavings of clay and manipulates them on the surface. They’re razor sharp if you try to pick them up,” says Katz of Hattori Makiko’s Wandering. “That’s her trademark–she does a lot of forms that are covered in this surface. I think about the way that the form wraps around itself, which means that she continues this surface throughout the whole piece. In your mind, you just realize how impossible this is.”

While Hattori Makiko (b. 1984) and Tanaku Yu (b. 1989) represent the slightly younger generation of artists shown in Radical Clay, there is an older contingent that laid the groundwork for the current generation of female Japanese ceramicists. While ceramic art has a long history in Japan, female artists were not typically involved in the sculpting and firing of the clay due to social expectations and prejudices. Artists like Tsuji Kyo (1930-2008), Tsuboi Asuka (1932-2022) and Mishima Kimiyo (1932-2024) were pioneers of their craft–not only redefining what ceramic art could be, but also who it could be made by.

“It’s important if you are a younger female artist to see women succeeding ahead of you. To realize that this is possible,” says Rhiannon Paget, Curator of Asian Art at The Ringling. “These artists are so inspiring in terms of their dedication to the art form and their commitment to making art at extremely high conceptual and technical levels."

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd

Wandering by Hattori Makiko. Porcelaneous stoneware applied with shaved clay. Provided photo.

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