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From expressive vessels morphing into organic designs to functional art pieces doubling up as sculptures, a curious and eclectic mix of ceramic works are put front and centre this week at the world's first international art fair dedicated exclusively to ceramic art: Ceramic Brussels 2025. In its second year, the annual event celebrates the medium's chameleonic nature, showcasing its timelessness and versatility as a canvas for myriad expressions of art and design. On view from January 23 – 26, 2025, the fair presents clay's medium as a succinct art form, as a conduit of creative storytelling and innovation through the works of over 200 artists from 65 galleries across 15 countries.
Ceramic Brussels 2025 returns to the Tour & Taxis exhibition centre in Brussels, Belgium, and builds on the vision and outreach of its first and previous editions by amplifying its commitment to diversity and collaboration. In tandem, it spotlights how global galleries and artists challenge, refine and reimagine ceramics as a medium for dialogue, exchange and creative expression.
"This year's scenography, which we reintroduced, provides a welcoming and immersive experience, allowing visitors to engage with the artworks and gallery displays in exciting new ways," Gilles Parmentier, director of Ceramic Brussels tells STIR.
With the objective outlined on their official website of 'showcas[ing] the diversity of artistic approaches to ceramics through the selection of international galleries and the involvement of leading global institutions and key players', Ceramic Brussels presents these works in clay as vessels of thought, culture, creativity and provocation this year. "On the market side, galleries are reporting promising sales, with collectors and institutions actively making acquisitions. It's a fantastic start and a clear sign of the vibrancy and momentum within the art market," Parmentier relays.
After examining the five key exhibits by Norwegian Crafts on display at Ceramic Brussels 2025, STIR delves into the presentations of some of the most compelling art and design galleries at the forefront of this transformative narrative at the ongoing art fair.
acb Gallery
Founded in 2003, the Budapest gallery presents a historically resonant ceramic collection featuring local ceramicists László Borsódy's expressive sculptural designs, the futuristic forms conceived by Lajos Csertő, Judit Vida's evocative works inspired by everyday objects and the geometric clay reliefs of Victor Vasarely. The curated selection reflects acb Gallery's ethos of bridging historical depth with contemporary innovation, cementing it as a vital force in Hungarian and Eastern European art. With its three exhibition spaces, main gallery space, acb Attachment, and acb Plus, the presentation aims to foster dialogues across generations while advocating neo-avant-garde pioneers, neo-conceptualists and emerging talents.
Almine Rech
Almine Rech's eponymous gallery, established in Paris in 1989, coalesces minimal, perceptual and conceptual art with contemporary designs. At Ceramic Brussels this year, the gallery presents a showcase featuring the imaginative works of ceramic artists Thu Van Tran, Jean-Baptiste Bernadet, Nobuhito Nishigawara, Gordon Cheung and Eric Croes. With a global presence spanning Paris, Brussels, London, New York, Shanghai, Gstaad and Monaco, Almine Rech reaffirms its commitment to pushing the boundaries of clay art within a broader artistic dialogue at the international art and design fair.
Arsenic galerie
Paris-based Arsenicgalerie delves into raw, intimate expressions, channelling energy, humour and jubilation to reflect contemporary complexities. Imbuing these emotions, the design gallery exhibits French artist Jacques Monneraud's ingenious cardboard-like ceramic collection, Jules Bouteleux's intricate miniature maquettes and Michel Gouéry's poised humanoid forms. These pragmatic works, rich in texture and narrative, embody Arsenic galerie's spirit of exploring unbridled imagination, offering a compelling exploration of the intersections between primitive intuition and the modern world.
BeCraft
"BeCraft represents contemporary applied arts in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, promoting local artists, preserving know-how and raising public awareness about applied arts," mentions the official website of Ceramic Brussels. The Belgium-based art gallery, founded in 1981 by Anne Leclercq and other ceramists, highlights the ideology to foster innovation while preserving wonted techniques through its exhibited works at the fair. The gallery curates Brussels-based sculptor Philippe Brodzki's patinated sculpture art pieces, combining the anachronistic beauty of mythological figures with provocative modernity. On the other hand, local artist Abel Jallais transforms utilitarian forms into fictional territories, creating bulbous ceramic objects that challenge notions of functionality.
Galerie Michel Giraud
Also present at Ceramic Brussels 2025 is the Parisian Galerie Michel Giraud, featuring elaborate animalist works that bridge the elegance of Art Deco style with inventive modern artistry. Belgian ceramic and glass artist Fabienne Loyens' encased porcelain beetles are glazed with meticulous detail to craft a vibrant pot sculpture collection. Meanwhile, Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos' ceramic pieces are veiled in delicate crochet, transforming conventional mediums into bold, modish statements.
Galerie Desprez Breheret
France-based Galerie Desprez Breheret, founded by Hélène Bréhéret and Benjamin Desprez, displays the captivating solo exhibition of French ceramicist Kalou Dubus at Ceramic Brussels 2025. The contemporary artist transforms natural materials like earthenware and wood into striking lighting and sculptural furniture designs. Her angular, juxtaposing volumes embody a harmonious blend of artistry, functionality and eco-responsibility, rooted in Desprez Breheret's endorsement of natural materials and sustainability for over two decades.
Galerie SCENE OUVERTE
Galerie SCENE OUVERTE, established by French sculptor Laurence Bonnel and located in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, unveils a striking collection transcending utility through aesthetics, materiality and storytelling. French artist Vincent Dubourg's fragmented, sculptural furniture exudes organic distortion, while Eindhoven-based designer Rino Claessens' modular ceramic designs explore anew practicality. Bordeaux-based ceramicist Caroline Desile's jigsaw puzzle-like bas-reliefs captivate with their organic forms. At the same time, Italy-born Silver Sentimenti intricately weaves leather into clay artefacts. Also on display are Parisian artist Saraï Delfendhal's animated, figural sculptures, bringing human and animalistic characters to life.
Galerie Yves Gastou
The Paris-based gallery, home of the first exhibitions in France of the 1980s masters of design such as the Memphis group, Shiro Kuramata and Ron Arad, and acclaimed for its focus on post-war design, contemporary limited-edition creations, and 20th-century decorative arts, presents a solo show by Marseille-born designer Agnès Debizet at Ceramic Brussels. Founded in 1986 by Yves Gastou and now co-led with his son Victor, the gallery's ethos of eclecticism finds harmony in Debizet's chimerical works. Her contemplative Red Species "question their own identity and their place in a universe that eludes them, just as it does us", as the sculpture artist explains in an official statement. With dreamlike zoomorphic forms of perforated beings, the exhibition epitomises the showcase's dedication to pushing artistic frontiers.
Lefebvre & Fils
Galerie Lefebvre & Fils, a Parisian institution founded in 1880 and now directed by Louis Lefebvre, champions contemporary ceramics while honouring its legacy in fine arts. The gallery, with its incomparable 140 years of experience, puts together a solo show by French artist Héloïse Piraud at the event. Inspired by archaic Egyptian frescoes, Roman mosaics, Armenian antiquity and the totemic sculptures of indigenous cultures, Piraud's ceramic art blends classical techniques with modern interpretations. By analysing these ancient depictions, her mythological creatures and symbolic brute forms, "not only honours these traditions but also invites us to reconsider our connection with the natural world today", the press release outlines.
Modern Shapes
Instituted in 2011 by Michaël Francken in Antwerp, Modern Shapes gallery specialises in coeval sculptural art with a key focus on ceramics. Here, it features a solo presentation by Paris-born ceramic artist Dorothée Loriquet, whose biomorphic sculptures embody movement, balance and the interplay of voids and solids. Complementing the show are works by French designers Lucien Petit and Brigitte Marionneau, as well as Japanese sculptor Toru Kurokawa, each highlighting fluid craftsmanship and sculptural presence. With its unique curatorial approach, Modern Shapes bridges the realms of design, art and architecture, offering collectors and enthusiasts a bold vision of coeval ceramics.
Puls Ceramics
Brussels-based contemporary art gallery Puls Ceramics highlights an eclectic selection of vessels and sculptures by Danish artists Morten Klitgaard, Charlotte Nielsen, Rikke Elgaard, Anders Børgesen, Maria Bang Espersen and American artist Maxwell Mustardo. Founded in 2000 by ceramic artist Annette Sloth, the gallery upholds a vision rooted in showcasing both established and emerging talents and offers collectors, museums and enthusiasts a curated glimpse into the future of ceramic artistry at Ceramic Brussels 2025.
The second edition of Ceramic Brussels is on view from January 23 - 26, 2025, at Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium.
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