A new exhibition titled “Surface and Structure: Contemporary Ceramics at the Edge of Form” is set to open on January 30, 2024, at The Sculpture Center in Cleveland. The exhibition will run until March 28, 2024, showcasing a diverse collection of works from faculty and alumni of the Cleveland Institute of Art, Kent State University, and the University of Akron. It will be located at 12210 Euclid Avenue in University Circle.
The exhibition aims to shift perceptions of ceramics from merely decorative or functional objects to materials with structural and architectural significance. It will feature pieces that explore themes of collapse, asymmetry, and surface tension, emphasizing how imperfections and instability can act as sources of creativity.
Grace Chin, the executive director of The Sculpture Center, expressed her enthusiasm for the exhibition, stating, “These works resist being polite or perfected. The artists embrace instability, excess, and visual tension, allowing clay to become expressive, physical, and sometimes deliberately uncomfortable.” This perspective redefines traditional notions of ceramics, inviting viewers to see them as dynamic forms rather than fixed objects.
The exhibition includes contributions from regional artists such as Seuil Chung, Kristen Cliffel, PJ Hargraves, Drew Ippoliti, Peter Christian Johnson, Anna Kruse, Eva Kwong, Keenan O’Toole, Seth Nagelberg, and Phil Soucy. Their works collectively suggest architecture in a state of flux, with clay that folds, leans, and stretches under its own weight, challenging established ideas about the medium.
An opening reception is scheduled for the same day, from 17:30 to 20:00, providing an opportunity for guests to view the artwork and engage in conversations with the artists. The event is free to attend, and parking will be available on-site.
Overall, “Surface and Structure” promises to be a thought-provoking exhibition that encourages visitors to reconsider the potential of ceramics as a medium and its relationship to architecture and form.
