like many materials formerly relegated to the less acclaimed echelons of craft, at least in the United States, has risen in esteem of late, as have other so-called minor arts. There are more exhibitions dedicated to it, and clay appears more often as part of the repertoire of multidisciplinary artists in the wake of increasing aesthetic diversification and hybridization. Clay has its own storied history and other cultures have long prized it, particularly in Asia where rare porcelains can command upwards of eight figures, as one tangible index of worth. In Japan, ceramic works have been designated National Treasures, another measure of the esteem in which they are held. As might be expected, however, until recently, any ceramist considered of serious weight was male. “Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan,” on view at the Art Institute of Chicago from December 16, 2023 until June 3, 2024, persuasively argues the flip side of that story, featuring
