Contemporary African pottery is distinguished by an eloquence of form and a fineness of finish that one does not often anticipate in a utilitarian vessel. This is exactly the point, because very few of these pots will ever be used for anything other than admiring their beauty.
However, one cannot separate their modernity from their past; their entire survival is built on centuries of production, innovation, and development of their trade.
There are numerous working ceramic artists throughout the continent, and the following are just a sampling of the breadth and depth of modern potters.
Magdalene Odundo
One can only admire the captivating work of this Kenyan-born ceramic artist because of her unique use of one of the oldest materials on the planet. She was born in Kenya in 1950, educated there and in India, and now lives in the United Kingdom.
Her reputation as a potter who continually breaks new ground is unrivaled.
Her creations resemble containers, yet none of them are intended to be used as such. They look to have slipped and slid, taking on their own flowing form, and it appears that their shape is not entirely under Odundo’s control.
The ornamentation and technical processes, on the other hand, are strictly controlled by the artist, who achieves varied looks using conventional coiling techniques and a range of oxidised and low-oxidised firing atmospheres.
Her art demonstrates a unique insight into the transcultural roles that a pot can play and the symbolism that a vessel can contain, both secular and frightening. Ceramic craft is associated with female creation in parts of Africa, and the anthromorphic references to the female body in her pieces reflect that ritual.
While we can see this in her work, she has also studied many other indigenous pottery techniques in other places, making her art distinctively contemporary and global.
Her work can be found in the collections of prestigious museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Museum of African Art.
Since 2018, she has served as Chancellor of the University for the Creative Arts.
