Cutting-Edge Ceramic Creators Shaping the Future of Clay in 2025
From timeless Greek pottery to exquisite Chinese porcelain, the craft of ceramics has persisted through the ages. Throughout various cultures and times, individuals have consistently been attracted to the inventive potential of clay. Whether molded into functional tableware or crafted into intricate sculptures, clay remains a classic medium with limitless possibilities. Today’s ceramic creators continue to push boundaries, transforming raw earth into stunning artworks and aesthetically pleasing functional items.
The year 2025 has proven to be particularly thrilling for the ceramics world, with numerous artists shaping, sculpting, firing, and glazing remarkable works that challenge tradition and expand the possibilities of clay. Continue reading to explore our favorite artists and projects from the past year.
Top Ceramic Artists of 2025
En Iwamura
Artist En Iwamura crafts enchanting ceramic pieces that are rich in whimsical expressions, unexpected shapes, and tactile surfaces. His playful creations evoke delightful sketches or characters from a children’s narrative, vibrantly materialized in three dimensions. In his latest系列, he has started to dive into tile portraits, piecing together flattened color blocks like a vast ceramic puzzle.
Iwamura resides and works in Shigaraki, a quaint pottery town in Japan’s Shiga Prefecture. At first sight, his vibrant, character-inspired sculptures may appear distant from the historical Shigaraki ware of the region. However, each creation is profoundly intertwined with tradition. “I apply the most basic and straightforward techniques in ceramics,” he tells My Modern Met. “I employ no unique tools or secret techniques. I simply replicate the practices of ancient artisans. When I view my work from afar for the first time, these sculptures begin to evoke thoughts of unfamiliar relics crafted by an unknown culture or individual.”
Kaori KURIHARA
Based in Paris, Kaori KURIHARA produces vibrant ceramic sculptures that resemble otherworldly tropical fruits. She is inspired by the botanical realm, fascinated by organic forms and the endless geometric repetition found in nature. Her breathtaking, hand-crafted creations are rich in intricate, botanical features that feel familiar yet surreal and peculiar. Texture is a significant aspect of her work, with many pieces exhibiting fruit “skins” adorned with myriad cell-like dimples, ridges, and nodules.
“I possess a strong urge to manifest the fruit conjured in my mind and to observe it through my own perspective,” KURIHARA shares. “In light of this, I endeavor to create pieces that are both authentic and dreamlike.”
Le Lu
Artist Lena (recognized as Le Lu on Instagram) produces unique ceramic works that are equally stunning and eerie. Merging the realms of tattoo art and ceramics, her lavish vases, dishes, and sculptural creations are embellished with illustrated memories from her upbringing in post-Soviet nations. Each piece narrates its own subtle tale, prompting viewers to reflect on their own recollections and experiences.
Her hand-sculpted Trash Bag Vase from 2025 delves into the theme of achieving realism in clay, finding beauty in the often-overlooked. Finished in a glossy, plastic-like black, it closely resembles an actual garbage bag. Yet when filled with flowers, the piece challenges perceptions of beauty, transforming something disposable into something cherished.
“I have always been captivated by the darker facets of existence, which is evident in my artwork,” Lena acknowledges. “Be it a tattoo design or a ceramic piece, there’s always a thread of sadness or nostalgia woven in. I uncover beauty within the raw emotions we often endeavor to conceal, and I aspire to encapsulate these sentiments in my creations.”