Contemporary Black American Ceramic Artists

By Donald A. Clark and Chotsani Elaine Dean

Sharing their insights in compelling interviews, 38 of today’s Black ceramists demonstrate a diversity of studio practices and ways of using clay, together with more than 300 stunning photos of their work. Especially crucial in light of the times, this book helps disperse the fog of noninclusion. With the goal of giving the artists the recognition long overdue, Donald A. Clark and Chotsani Elaine Dean begin by grounding us in history and context. The authors take us through time, explaining recent important research from Drayton Hall in South Carolina, for example, and other work that has helped honor the contributions, presence, and experiences of African Americans in ceramic history in America.

Bringing us to today, Clark and Dean present for each of the 38 contemporary ceramic artists an introduction, an interview with the artist, and photos highlighting some of their work. This important and necessary information, with its impact on the medium as a whole, is beautifully and engagingly presented to makers and craft appreciators alike.

Donald A. Clark, a core figure in the American ceramic art movement's development over the past 40 years, was a partner at the Ferrin Gallery and served as research manager for the Marks Project. He writes for publications such as Ceramics Monthly and Studio Potter and is the author of Making a Living in Crafts (Lark).

Chotsani Elaine Dean is an artist and assistant professor of ceramics at the University of Minnesota. She received her BFA in ceramics from Hartford Art School and her MFA at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis.

Schiffer Publishing, 2022, hardcover, 9 x 12 inches, 256 pages, 324 color images.