Opening Reception, Tōgei: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics

Saturday, June 13, 2026 • 4–6 PM • In Person

Join us for the opening reception for Tōgei: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics.

TheTōgei: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics exhibition at the American Museum of Ceramic Art explores Japan’s ceramic tradition and its evolution from functional wares to modern artistic expression. Works ranging from tea utensils and flower vessels to non-functional and contemporary sculpture highlight how post-1940s potters experimented with form, glaze, and concept, often blending wabi-sabi aesthetics with contemporary design. The exhibition also reveals how Japanese cultural practices such as the tea ceremony, ikebana, and cuisine have influenced Western spaces and design trends. Featuring pieces by artists such as Suzuki Gorō, Hamada Shōji, and Yagi Kazuo, it traces a modernist renaissance in ceramics, including recent contributions from women artists who have gained opportunities to train in art universities. This marks the first major modern Japanese ceramics exhibition in eastern Los Angeles County in fifty years.

4:00 PM: Doors Open

4:15 PM: Opening Remarks + Taiko Drumming Performance by Kishin Daiko

Admission to the event and Museum galleries is complimentary with advance registration. Light refreshments will be served. Information about at-the-door prices can be found at AMOCA.org/visit

Tōgei: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics will be on view in the Armstrong Gallery at AMOCA June 13, 2026-January 3, 2027.

Also opening tonight will be Stop, Drop, + Pose: Clay in Motion, in the Igal & Diane Silber Vault Gallery. Stop, Drop, + Pose traces the evolution of clay as a time-based medium, from one of the earliest efforts in The Sculptor’s Nightmare (1908) to early television and experimental theater, to contemporary artists pushing the material into new territories of video, performance, and moving image. While early animation popularized clay’s elasticity, today’s artists investigate its fragility, resistance, and intimacy.

Note: AMOCA may photograph or video visitors for educational and promotional purposes. Attendance to an AMOCA exhibition or event constitutes the attendee’s consent regarding the possibility of appearing in Museum marketing materials.