Our favorite ceramic artists on Testudo

While ceramics remains a core component of art history, emerging artists working in ceramics today continue to push the medium in exciting ways. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite emerging ceramics artists with work available on Testudo and some tips to discover more ceramic artists to follow.

History of Ceramics As Art
Ceramics as a form of artistic expression have been a part of human history for thousands of years. Ceramic art often falls into three categories based on their materials: earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Earthenware has a porous body, meaning it hasn’t been fired to vitrification and can still be permeated by water. Stoneware is to a temperature where it is vitrified and is frequently glazed. Porcelain is fired at the highest temperature and therefore is the strongest.

Ceramic art is visible in the history of almost every developed culture. Some regions especially prized for ceramics include China, Greece, Japan, and Korea. The Chinese early on developed a process for creating porcelain. When Chinese porcelain was imported to western Europe, ceramic artists struggled desperately to replicate the material. When the artists and craftspeople finally discovered the technique, various companies manufactured European porcelain, causing a public frenzy - owning porcelain tableware and art became obligatory in high society.

While ceramics are frequently used as utilitarian tools like pitchers and flower vases, ceramic arts have flourished as well. One of the first fine artists in the modern era to utilize ceramics in their practice was Paul Gaugin. The post-impressionist is most noted today for his paintings; however, he was also a prolific sculptor. His work as a ceramic artist helped break the long-held idea that ceramics were not fine art, but categorized in the less-prestigious category of “decorative arts.”

Pablo Picasso, arguably the most iconic artists of the 20th century, also worked ceramic art into his practice. In his later career, he painted on ceramic vessels and used these as an avenue to explore new themes. This use of the ceramic medium by such a prolific artist helped change the perception of ceramics.

How to Discover New Ceramic Artists
To find the best emerging ceramic artists, it’s helpful to start by examining schools with prestigious ceramic programs. Alfred University in upstate New York, Rhode Island School of Design, and Cranbrook Academy in Michigan are three schools noted for their ceramic MFA programs. Many alumni from these schools are currently making art using ceramics today.

Museums also offer a great selection of shows by emerging artists. Many museums work to ensure their exhibitions show many different art mediums. There are even some museums in the US entirely dedicated to ceramics, like the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California, and the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum at the aforementioned Alfred University campus.

Testudo is also a valuable resource for discovering emerging ceramic artists. We curate a selection of emerging artists on our platform and unlike other sites, we don’t limit our artists to just selling wall art. We are a destination for artist discovery and pride ourselves on showcasing emerging ceramic artists. All the work seen on Testudo of these emerging artists is available for purchase now.

​Emerging Ceramic Artists to Know:​

These are just three ceramic artists, there are many emerging artists working around the world today. We hope to feature more as Testudo grows. Join our weekly mailing list to receive the latest updates on new ceramic artists.