A new exhibit at The Sculpture Center in University Circle brings together 10 ceramic artists who explore their medium beyond the logic of the vessel—pushing the boundaries of ceramics by presenting clay as sculptural, architectural, and materially experimental.

"Surface and Structure: Contemporary Ceramics at the Edge of Form" opened Friday, Jan. 30, with about 200 people attending the opening reception, and runs through March 28.

Seth Nagelberg's 'Nautilus.'The 10 artists are Seuil Chung, Kristen Cliffel, PJ Hargraves, Drew Ippoliti, Peter Christian Johnson, Anna Kruse, Eva Kwong, Keenan O’Toole, Seth Nagelberg, and Phil Soucy.

The show features works by faculty and alumni from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Kent State University, and the University of Akron—highlighting how contemporary ceramic sculpture is evolving by manipulating scale and surface.

The artists are taking ceramics out of their traditional context, says Sculpture Center executive director Grace Chin.

“Traditional ceramics are often understood through vessels and functional objects,” she explains. “All of the artists are disrupting that idea—whether it’s through the architectural interplay of materials, breaking down the surface, using glazes in a more abstract way, or creating forms that are not representational.”

A diverse group of guests braved the weather on Friday to explore the contemporary take on clay.

“A lot of artists came—ceramics artists—and a lot of students came and kind of descended en masse,” Chin recalls. “I think it was good for [the students] to see sort of the different varieties of work that the artists in this region are working on."

Texture, scale, and theme
The works shown in the exhibit not only challenge texture, but they also challenge typical themes and stereotypes.

For instance, Cleveland Institute of Art alumnus and Lakewood-based artist Kristen Cliffel’s works explore the complexities of domestic life and exemplify the exhibit’s focus on surface as an active sculptural element.

Cliffel’s “Reverie,” for example, challenges both the textures associated with ceramics, and male and female stereotypes, replacing smooth or refined finishes with densely layered floral forms that cover the entire surface of the work.

“She’s really breaking down the surface of clay,” Chin explains. “Instead of a smooth or ridged, spun surface, she creates texture by applying these forms across the piece, which completely changes how you read it.”

Artist and CIA assistant professor of craft and design Seth Nagelberg notes Cliffel’s views on feminism and masculinity expressed in the work.

Kristen Cliffel's 'Reverie.'“Kristen looks at womanhood with a kind of really powerful feminist lens,” he says. “[She looks] at very domestic things like cake but then mixes it up. You see a hammer, you see houses, you see birds—really just beautiful and thoughtful objects.”

Scale plays a significant role throughout the exhibit, enabled by the large kilns available at the three universities represented in “Surface and Structure.” Chin points to a 10-foot-long installation by Kent State assistant professor of ceramics Anna Kruse as one of the show’s most striking examples.

“It’s actually two pieces that communicate with each other,” Chin says. “They’re lying on the ground, not on a pedestal, which makes it a very direct observational piece.”

That emphasis on ceramics as sculpture reflects a broader shift in how the medium is presented and understood, Chin adds, describing the exhibit as part of a growing trend within contemporary art spaces.

“I would say this approach is very much of the moment,” she says. “Those three institutions have incredibly strong ceramics departments, and they’re playing an important role nationally in thinking about ceramics as sculpture, not just smaller functional objects.”

A regional approach
CIA’s Nagelberg, who is also one of the featured artists, says “Surface and Structure” grew out of a regional curatorial approach. Organizers contacted faculty at each institution, who then suggested alumni—shaping a group show focused on constructed and deconstructed sculptural forms.

“The exhibition is mostly sculptural,” Nagelberg says. “It looks at how forms are built, taken apart and reimagined.”

Nagelberg’s three works in the exhibit reflect his interest in how nature organizes itself through geometry and mathematical systems. His pieces reference hexagonal stone formations, Fibonacci sequences and the golden ratio, using clay to explore patterns found in plants, shells, and bodies.

“I’m looking at how nature organizes itself to make all these different forms,” he explains. “Clay allows me to explore that physically.”

Another CIA-connected artist is Phil Soucy, whose large-scale coil pots transform a fundamental ceramic technique into dramatic, tornado-like forms.

The University of Akron is represented by PJ Hargraves, Drew Ippoliti and Seuil Chung, while Kent State contributors include Peter Christian Johnson, former faculty member Eva Kwong, Anna Kruse, and Keenan O’Toole.

Sculpture Center executive director Grace Chin says the works in The takeaways
Chin says all the work featured in the gallery during “Surface and Structure” is for sale, with prices ranging from $800 to $24,000. Additionally, however, Nagelberg points out that there is also a section of works priced at $200 and under in a popup gift shop—an intentional move to make collecting contemporary ceramics more accessible.

Both Chin and Nagelberg say they want exhibit visitors to be impressed by the beauty of the works on display, as well as understand the challenges undertaken by the artists.

“I hope people walk away thinking, ‘I didn’t know clay could do that,’” Nagelberg says.

For Chin, that moment of surprise is central to the exhibit’s purpose.

“These works aren’t trying to be polite or perfected,” she says. “Imperfection isn’t something to be corrected here—it’s where meaning and beauty emerge.”

An artist talk, “Surface & Structure: Contemporary Ceramics on the Edge of Form” with PJ Hargraves, Anna Kruse, Eva Kwong, and Seth Nagelberg is planned for Saturday, Feb. 28, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Now in its 35th year, The Sculpture Center continues its mission to advance the field of sculpture through exhibitions like “Surface and Structure,” providing a platform for artists to challenge conventional boundaries and explore new possibilities in their medium.

The Sculpture Center is located at 12210 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, 44106. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.