黑料不打烊


Pushing Boundaries: Ceramic Artists and Identity

13 Sep, 2025 - 07 Dec, 2025

Across diverse cultures and continents, numerous ancient human origin narratives depict clay as the primordial material from which humanity was formed. In these accounts, deities or other divine entities mold human beings from this malleable, earth-derived substance, symbolizing an intrinsic connection between human existence and the land itself. These narratives underscore the profound relationship between identity and place, suggesting that our sense of self is inherently linked to the geography of our origins.

Pushing Boundaries presents the work of contemporary California-based artists who engage with clay as a medium to interrogate themes of identity and materiality. While some of these artists work primarily with clay, others incorporate it as a symbolic reference to notions of value, place, and corporeality.

Since the mid-20th century, California has played a pivotal role in redefining ceramics as a critical fine art medium. The artists featured in Pushing Boundaries expand upon this legacy, utilizing clay to explore and challenge discourses surrounding the body, race, gender, sexuality, and the environment. Through their innovative practices, they further advance the medium鈥檚 revolutionary potential, positioning it at the intersection of contemporary artistic and social inquiry. This exhibition is guest curated by artist, educator, independent curator and arts administrator Demetri Broxton.


 



Across diverse cultures and continents, numerous ancient human origin narratives depict clay as the primordial material from which humanity was formed. In these accounts, deities or other divine entities mold human beings from this malleable, earth-derived substance, symbolizing an intrinsic connection between human existence and the land itself. These narratives underscore the profound relationship between identity and place, suggesting that our sense of self is inherently linked to the geography of our origins.

Pushing Boundaries presents the work of contemporary California-based artists who engage with clay as a medium to interrogate themes of identity and materiality. While some of these artists work primarily with clay, others incorporate it as a symbolic reference to notions of value, place, and corporeality.

Since the mid-20th century, California has played a pivotal role in redefining ceramics as a critical fine art medium. The artists featured in Pushing Boundaries expand upon this legacy, utilizing clay to explore and challenge discourses surrounding the body, race, gender, sexuality, and the environment. Through their innovative practices, they further advance the medium鈥檚 revolutionary potential, positioning it at the intersection of contemporary artistic and social inquiry. This exhibition is guest curated by artist, educator, independent curator and arts administrator Demetri Broxton.


 



Contact details

Sunday
1:00 - 5:00 PM
Tuesday - Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 - 10:00 AM
Friday - Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
1313 Newell Road Palo Alto, CA, USA 94303

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