Featuring an in-depth selection of important works by master Japanese ceramic artists of the last eighty years, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see significant examples of avant-garde approaches to clay. Showcasing a range of shapes, glazes, and surface treatments, these ceramics blend ingenuity with a deep respect for tradition.

The exhibition is drawn from the collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, who have amassed encyclopedic holdings of Japanese modern and contemporary ceramics. With more than 1,000 examples, it is the largest collection of contemporary Japanese ceramics outside of Japan. Most of the works in the show are by masters who are living and practicing today. Their ceramics are considered some of the most aesthetically and technically innovative in the world, though they also often incorporate artistic traditions that began thousands of years ago. Since 1950, the Japanese government has bestowed the title “Living National Treasure” upon practicing artists who have attained the highest level of mastery in their chosen fields. Of the thirty-five artists represented in this exhibition, seven have been accorded this honor.