Clay Conversations: Ceramics from the Gilded to the Digital Age
Juxtaposing selections from the HRM’s Chinese porcelain collection with the work of seven New York–based artists, Clay Conversations spotlights how contemporary ceramicists reference and critique the medium’s longstanding ties to themes of exclusivity and exoticism.
Yage Wang (Chinese, b. 1995). Wan-Li, 2023. Porcelain, stoneware, glaze, underglaze, and epoxy. Courtesy of the artist.
From antique porcelain vases to contemporary dishware generated by AI technology, Clay Conversations illuminates the power of ceramics to serve as vessels for personal and political expression. Juxtaposing selections from the HRM’s Chinese porcelain collection with the work of seven New York–based artists, the exhibition spotlights how contemporary ceramicists reference and critique the medium’s longstanding ties to themes of exclusivity and exoticism.
Perched atop bookshelves and tabletops, an assortment of porcelain vessels adorn the period rooms in the Museum’s 1877 Gilded Age home, Glenview. These seemingly quotidian ceramic forms—such as vases, jars, and plates—reflect a booming global marketplace. During the late nineteenth century, wealthy Americans went to great lengths to acquire antique Chinese ceramics, especially blue-and-white porcelain from the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty (1662–1722). Created for both domestic and export markets, Kangxi porcelain was remarkably durable and technically innovative, often featuring elaborately rendered vignettes from Chinese folklore and literature. For Gilded Age collectors, possessing such precious vessels signaled their elite status and cosmopolitan worldview.
Clay Conversations explores the resonance of this history for our times. Contemporary ceramicists Adam Chau, Patricia Encarnación, Evelyn Mtika, Karen Jaimes, and Yage Wang utilize archival research, digital technologies, and literary allusions to create narratively driven and functional ceramic forms. Through intricate designs and experimental shapes, the artists craft vessels that express the histories and experiences of communities often relegated to the margins of the art world.
The exhibition also features a large-scale mixed-media installation, especially commissioned for Clay Conversations, by Yonkers-based artist Rachel Sydlowski. Drawing inspiration from the porcelain collection, Sydlowski translates their decorations into an immersive space that evokes the beauty and excess of the Gilded Age. Alongside paintings by George Henry Hall and Ellen Lanyon, the installation examines the potential for apparently everyday ceramic forms to generate narratives of personal and global significance.
Clay Conversations is curated by Karintha Lowe, HRM’s Mellon Public Humanities Fellow.
Exhibitions are made possible by assistance provided by the County of Westchester.
This exhibition is made possible by Sarah Lawrence College through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation, and by support from the Nancy Lin and George Farmer Family.
Featured Artists
Adam Chau • Patricia Encarnación • George Henry Hall • Karen Jaimes • Ellen Lanyon • Evelyn Mtika • Rachel Sydlowski • Yage Wang
Selected objects
Maker(s) once known. Blue-and-White “Figural Dish,” Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, ca. 1662–1722. Porcelain. Collection of the Hudson River Museum. Gift of The Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, Inc., 2007 (2007.07.26.01).
Maker(s) once known. Blue-and-White Fluted Cup and Saucer, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, ca. 1662–1722. Porcelain. Collection of the Hudson River Museum. Gift of The Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, Inc., 2007 (2007.07.27.01a,b).
Maker(s) once known. Blue-and-White “Romance of the Western Chamber” Bowl, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, ca. 1662–1722. Porcelain. Collection of the Hudson River Museum. Gift of The Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, Inc., 2007 (2007.07.32).
Maker(s) once known. Blue-and-White “Deer and Crane” Yenyen Vase, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, ca. 1662–1722. Porcelain. Collection of the Hudson River Museum. Gift of The Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, Inc., 2007 (2007.07.11).
George Henry Hall (American, 1825–1913). Summer, 1870. Oil on canvas. Collection of the Hudson River Museum. Gift of Shelley and Felice Bergman, 2023 (2023.15.3). Photo: Steven Paneccasio.
Maker(s) once known. Phoenix Baluster Vase, twentieth century. Polychrome and glazed porcelain. Collection of the Hudson River Museum. Gift of the estate of Mabel F. Carr, 1978 (1978.3).
Ellen Lanyon (American, 1926–2013). Everything Asian, 2010. Acrylic on canvas. Collection of the Hudson River Museum. Gift of Theodore Kaplan and Henry Tobin, 2023 (2023.1.5).
Patricia Encarnación (Dominican, b. 1991). Based in Bronx, NY. No Hay Mujeres Feas (There Are No Ugly Women), from the El Negro Detrás de la Oreja (The Black Behind the Ear) series, 2014. Digital photograph. Courtesy of the artist.
Patricia Encarnación (Dominican, b. 1991). Based in Bronx, NY. De Verde a Ma-Duro (From Green to Ripe), from the El Negro Detrás de la Oreja (The Black Behind the Ear) series, 2014. Digital photograph. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Jaimes (American, b. 1985). Based in Hudson Valley, NY. Sandra Cisneros Stirrup Spout Vessel, 2022. Brooklyn red stoneware, underglaze, and glaze. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Max Yawney.
Yage Wang (Chinese, b. 1995). Based in Queens, NY. Wan-Li, 2023. Porcelain, stoneware, glaze, underglaze, and epoxy. Courtesy of the artist.
Adam Chau (American, b. 1988). Based in White Plains, NY, and Norwalk, CT. Generated Love, 2024. Porcelain. Courtesy of the artist.
Adam Chau (American, b. 1988). Based in White Plains, NY, and Norwalk, CT. Generated Love, 2024. Porcelain. Courtesy of the artist.
Evelyn Mtika (American, b. 2000). Thomas Commeraw’s Pottery Plate, from the Chasing Echoes series, 2024. Underglaze, copper, and black iron oxide. Courtesy of the artist.
Evelyn Mtika (American, b. 2000). Selma Burke Portrait Plate, from the Chasing Echoes series, 2024. Underglaze, copper, and black iron oxide. Courtesy of the artist.
Rachel Sydlowski (American, b. 1974). Based in Yonkers, NY. Porcelain Dreams and Gilded Schemes, 2024. Collaged serigraphs on Coventry rag and backing paper, digital prints, vinyl, and ceramic. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Max Yawney.
Video
Installation views
Photo: Max Yawney.
Photo: Max Yawney.
Photo: Max Yawney.
Photo: Max Yawney.
Photo: Max Yawney.
Photo: Max Yawney.
Photo: Max Yawney.
