Ceramics Are Everywhere, in Museums, Galleries, and Fairs—Has the Market Caught Up?

Lately, ceramics have been popping up everywhere in major US cities. You can find them in museums, galleries, and art fairs. Artists are using this ancient material to create everything from traditional cups and vases to modern sculptures.

Ceramics on Display

Many shows across the country highlight ceramic art. In New York, Kathy Butterly's small pieces sold out for $45,000 each at James Cohan. Nicole Cherubini's show at Friedman Benda almost sold out, with pieces up to $65,000. Ruby Neri's work was at Salon 94, reaching $75,000. Ron Nagle also had a show at Matthew Marks.

Theaster Gates, known for his ceramic work, honored enslaved South Carolina ceramicist David Drake at Gagosian. The New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) also hosted NADA Ceramics in Tribeca. Over 40 artists, galleries, and studios participated.

In California, several galleries at the Frieze fair featured ceramics. Olney Gleason sold Bosco Sodi's clay sculptures for about $72,000. Jeffrey Deitch showcased Sharif Farrag's works, priced between $14,000 and $35,000. David Kordansky displayed Doyle Lane's glazed pots and later showed Betty Woodman's earthenware, with prices up to $190,000.

At the Post-Fair, Anton Kern presented Francis Upritchard's vessels, made with Nicholas Brandon, for $10,000 to $16,000. Mariposa sold Peter Schlesinger's pieces for up to $40,000. Marta showed George Sherman's work, priced from $4,000 to $20,000.

Away from the fairs, Alma Berrow's work was at Megan Mulrooney, ranging from $800 to $12,000. David Zwirner also opened a show of ceramic sculptures by Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, with pieces priced from $5,000 to $80,000.

At Expo Chicago, Bienvenu Steinberg & C showed Jane Yang-D’Haene's works for $9,000 to $24,000. Mindy Solomon sold Dee Clements' pieces, which combine ceramic and woven baskets, for $12,000 to $16,000. The Mission Projects displayed Nicola Costantino's work, priced from $600 to $15,000.

Beyond galleries and fairs, museums are also featuring ceramics. The Princeton University Art Museum has a room dedicated to Japanese potter Toshiko Takaezu. The RISD Museum offers "A Shared Journey: The Barkan Contemporary Ceramic Collection." Kathy Butterly's work is also on view at the Tang Teaching Museum.

The Market for Ceramics

Ceramics have been made since ancient times. Many famous 20th-century artists like Lucio Fontana, Joan Miró, Isamu Noguchi, and Pablo Picasso worked with the medium. However, the market for ceramics has faced challenges.

Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, founder of Salon 94, said ceramics are now "fully embedded into the art community’s language." But David Rago, who started Rago Auctions, noted it's been a "slog" because pottery was often seen as a craft.

The question remains whether old ideas about ceramics, like being "women's work," have kept prices low compared to paintings or other sculptures. Many artists work with ceramics, some exclusively, others as part of mixed-media pieces. For example, Simone Leigh's Las Meninas II (2019), which includes ceramics, sold for $3.1 million. Her highest price for a work solely in ceramic is $730,800.

David Kordansky noted that while interest in ceramics has grown, the market isn't uniform. There's a difference between new excitement for the medium and lasting recognition for top artists. Benjamin Critton of Marta believes craft associations still keep prices low. However, he sees this changing as younger collectors view ceramic work simply as "Sculpture," caring less about the material's traditional associations.

Market Growth and Prices

The secondary market for ceramics has grown significantly. In 2016, 695 lots were auctioned, totaling almost $30 million. By 2025, over 6,200 lots were sold, with total sales more than doubling to $62.5 million.

Famous artists like Picasso, Fontana, Miró, and Noguchi have strong auction records for their ceramic pieces. However, their highest prices for ceramics are much lower than for their paintings or sculptures in other materials. For example, Picasso's ceramic La Chouette en Colère (1953) sold for $2.5 million, while his painting Les Femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’) (1955) fetched $179.4 million.

Despite market growth, prices for some important ceramic artists remain modest. Peter Voulkos, who taught artists like Ron Nagle and Ken Price, is one of the few ceramic artists whose work has sold for over a million dollars. His Black Bulerias (1958) sold for $1.3 million. Ken Price's record is $554,000, and Betty Woodman's high is $131,250. Many other renowned artists haven't reached six figures on the secondary market.

NADA Ceramics started with modest prices, from under $100 to $10,000. NADA executive director Heather Hubbs wants to make it a more "elevated, serious thing," combining functional pieces with sculptural booths.

Shereen Al-Sawwaf, from Christie’s, noted that the smaller size of most ceramic pieces, due to kiln limitations, might be part of their appeal. People are starting to prefer smaller objects over "mega-sized paintings." For collectors, these modest prices can be good news. Christie's regularly sells ceramic pieces by many artists for $5,000 to $10,000, similar to primary market prices. Al-Sawwaf believes this trend will continue.

Deep Dive & References

ARTDAI statistics on ceramics market growth - ARTnews, 2024