International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate the achievements of women across all fields, including the world of ceramics. From bold sculptural works to delicate functional pottery, female ceramicists have continually pushed boundaries and redefined the craft. Today, we explore the work of six remarkable women ceramicists who have made significant contributions to the art of ceramics.
Ready to get inspired? Let’s dive in!
1. Kate Malone
A leading figure in contemporary ceramics, Kate Malone is best known for her bold, organic forms and innovative glazes. Her work is deeply inspired by nature, often drawing upon the shapes, textures, and colors of fruits, seeds, and minerals. From vibrant pumpkin-like vessels to undulating architectural ceramics, Malone’s pieces exude a sense of life and growth.
Malone’s mastery of glazing is one of the hallmarks of her work. Her commitment to experimentation and technical innovation has helped push ceramic art forward, making her one of the most respected ceramicists in the UK.
Beyond her personal artistic practice, Malone has contributed significantly to public art projects. She has worked on large-scale commissions for buildings and urban spaces, including a major collaboration with architects for the façades of buildings in London.
Her work can be found in major museum collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. She continues to push boundaries with her vibrant and technically complex pieces, proving that ceramics can be both playful and profound.
See more of her pieces on her website and her Instagram profile.
2. Felicity Aylieff
A master of large-scale ceramics, Felicity Aylieff is recognized for her monumental porcelain vessels that blend traditional Chinese craftsmanship with contemporary Western aesthetics. Her works often stand at an impressive height, defying the expectations of ceramic art and challenging the limitations of clay as a medium.
Aylieff’s connection to Jingdezhen, China—the historic heart of porcelain production—has played a crucial role in her artistic development. She has spent extensive time collaborating with skilled craftspeople in the region, adopting and reinterpreting traditional blue-and-white porcelain painting techniques. The result is a fusion of Eastern and Western artistic sensibilities, seen in her bold patterns, gestural brushwork, and experimental glazing methods.
Beyond her artistic practice, Aylieff is a professor at the Royal College of Art, where she mentors emerging ceramicists and continues to push the boundaries of contemporary pottery. Her work is held in prestigious collections worldwide, cementing her status as one of the foremost ceramic artists of our time.
You can see her enormous pieces on her website, and follow her on Instagram to stay up to date with her most recent work.
3. Hayashi Kaku
Hayashi Kaku is a distinguished Japanese ceramic artist renowned for her dynamic and expressive sculptures that explore the malleability of clay. Born in Taiwan in 1953, she pursued her studies at Tokyo University of the Arts, where she was mentored by esteemed Living National Treasures Fujimoto Yoshimichi Nōdō and Tamura Kōichi.
Hayashi’s creations are characterized by their powerful forms and contrasting glazes, reflecting the elemental forces of nature. Her meticulous process involves kneading and shaping clay until it aligns with her envisioned expression, resulting in works that convey both strength and fluidity. Although well-established in Japan, Hayashi’s international recognition grew through exhibitions like “Soaring Voices–Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists,” which toured Japan and the U.S. between 2010 and 2012.
In 2022, she held her first solo exhibition outside Japan, titled “Eternal Currents,” at Joan B. Mirviss Ltd. in New York, showcasing her latest series of confidently formed sculptures. Hayashi’s work continues to captivate audiences worldwide, embodying a profound connection to nature and a mastery of her craft.
She doesn’t have much of an online presence, but you can read more about her work on the International Ceramics Festival website.
4. Magdalene Odundo
A Kenyan-born ceramicist with an international reputation, Magdalene Odundo creates some of the most refined and visually striking ceramic vessels in contemporary art. Her hand-built, burnished terracotta pieces are instantly recognizable for their elegant, sculptural forms and rich, glowing surfaces.
Odundo’s work is deeply rooted in traditional African pottery techniques, particularly those of Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. She builds her vessels through a coiling method, shaping them by hand and then burnishing them to achieve their characteristic smooth, lustrous finish. Many of her pieces take on human-like silhouettes, reflecting her interest in the relationship between ceramics and the human body.
Though her work references African pottery traditions, Odundo’s vessels are often displayed in contemporary art museums rather than functional pottery settings. She has received numerous accolades, and her works are housed in major collections, including the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Follow her on Instagram for more inspiration, and read a recent profile published in the Guardian newspaper for more insights into her creative practice.
5. Simone Leigh
American artist Simone Leigh is a groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary ceramicist, using ceramics to explore Black female identity, history, and resilience. Her sculptures, often depicting women’s faces and bodies, draw from traditional African pottery, feminist theory, and contemporary social issues.
Leigh frequently incorporates raffia, metal, and other materials into her clay sculptures, creating a rich dialogue between texture, history, and form. Her work challenges Western art traditions, emphasizing the cultural significance of Black women’s labor, craft, and representation.
In 2022, Leigh became the first Black woman to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale, where her powerful sculptures received international acclaim. Her work continues to reshape the landscape of contemporary ceramics and conceptual art.
Take a deep dive into her Venice Biennale project and check out her latest work on Instagram.
6. Bente Skjøttgaard
Danish ceramicist Bente Skjøttgaard is renowned for her experimental approach to clay, creating sculptural works that challenge traditional ideas of ceramics. Her pieces often evoke natural landscapes, clouds, and organic forms, appearing fluid and dynamic despite being made of fired clay.
Skjøttgaard’s innovative use of glazes and surface textures gives her sculptures a sense of movement, blurring the line between ceramics and contemporary sculpture. Her works are playful yet deeply technical, demonstrating a mastery of material that allows her to push the boundaries of what ceramics can be.
Her pieces are featured in numerous exhibitions and museum collections worldwide, affirming her status as a leading figure in modern ceramic art.
You can read about her process on her website, and see her newest work by following her on Instagram.
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Learn more about our weekly classes, monthly intensive courses and our 3 month ceramics professionalisation course.