Stubborn presents a collection of works inspired by classical statuary, particularly torsos and heads, transformed with the unexpected incorporation of industrial objects. Through this juxtaposition, the exhibition invites viewers to reconsider the legacy of Western values and our perceptions of various aspects of life. In contrast to his previous series, Prado intentionally relinquished total control over the creative process, allowing it to unfold with less restraint. Although he continues to draw inspiration from classical sculptures as his primary reference, this time he explores diverse associations that emerge organically during the act of creation. Overall, he perceives in this series a profound struggle to define his own identity. His education as a Western artist, deeply rooted in the traditions of classical Greco-Roman art and Catholic pictorial imagery, has always been a significant influence. While these elements have permeated his career, in 'Stubborn,' they converge, establishing a unique and uncanny dialogue.
Last evening, the exhibitions Stubborn, a solo show by sculptor Carlos Enrique Prado, and Converging Plateaus, a group exhibition by MFA students from the University of Miami, were inaugurated. The event drew a large crowd, including professors from the university’s Art Department, artists, and the students' families. The opening of both exhibitions reaffirms the sustained and fruitful relationship between MoCA-Americas and the University of Miami.
READ MORE
The Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas is working diligently to finalize Converging Plateaus and Stubborn, exhibitions set to open next Friday as part of the ArtEd Connect program in collaboration with the University of Miami (UM). Converging Plateaus presents to the audience the works of a diverse group of Fine Arts students, while Stubborn features a new series by the renowned ceramicist and professor Carlos Enrique Prado, who is showcasing his second solo exhibition at the Museum. The museum closely follows the work of emerging talents from the local art education scene.
READ MORE
Boris Danilov, a Ukrainian master in the arts of ceramics and porcelain and a resident of the Fine Arts Ceramic Center, visited the museum on the morning of Thursday the 16th to deliver some of the pieces for his first solo exhibition in the United States. The exhibition features a collection of hand-painted plates and decorative mosaics crafted and produced in the FACC workshops. His works exhibit a style of figuration rarely seen in the West.
READ MORE
The project Living Forms: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture seeks to explore the transformative potential of ceramics as a sculptural medium in contemporary art. In an artistic landscape where forms, materials, and techniques are constantly being reinvented, ceramics offers a unique and richly versatile proposition. Traditionally associated with utility and decoration, ceramics has transcended these connotations to establish itself as a powerful medium, capable of expressing ideas and concepts that go beyond the purely formal. This exhibition aims to reclaim ceramics as a key tool in contemporary sculptural discourse, with works ranging from the intimate and organic to the monumental and abstract.
READ MORE
In July 2023, the Fine Arts Ceramic Center awarded its first residency to the Ukrainian artist and ceramist Boris Danilov. A meticulous review of his work revealed an exotic spirituality, unusual for the cultural environment of South Florida. Naturally, his sources and roots could not be more distinct. The Ukrainian people evolved in a complex context where multiple civilizations and cultures coexisted. These tumultuous historical circumstances culminated with the yoke of Soviet Communism.
READ MORE
Three artists, three poetics that reveal a space of silence and inhumanity. On the one hand, it is typical and expected from artists who had to leave the land where they were formed, and on the other—though in only one case—this vital muteness stems from the torments of survival. These are circumstances that flatten all voices. The mere act of interpreting these poetics through the medium of ceramics strips away an unnecessary layer of formal complacency and pictorial artifice, which might otherwise interfere with the perception of the tragedies underlying these works.
READ MORE
Ceramic Expressions is an exhibition that brings together prominent female ceramists whose works, in addition to reflecting their personal poetics, critically address gender-related issues. Through ceramics, these artists explore identity, the body, power, and the female experience, using a medium traditionally associated with domesticity to question and redefine its potential as a tool for reflection and empowerment. The exhibition highlights how these women transform ceramics into a visual language that challenges gender norms and expectations while celebrating their cultural heritage and their ability to generate profound and universal discourses.
READ MORE
Three artists, three poetics that reveal a space of silence and inhumanity. On the one hand, it is typical and expected from artists who had to leave the land where they were formed, and on the other—though in only one case—this vital muteness stems from the torments of survival. These are circumstances that flatten all voices. The mere act of interpreting these poetics through the medium of ceramics strips away an unnecessary layer of formal complacency and pictorial artifice, which might otherwise interfere with the perception of the tragedies underlying these works.
READ MORE
The 75th Juried Exhibition of the Ceramic League of Miami (CLM), scheduled for February 2025, will be a grand-scale event that not only celebrates excellence in ceramic art but also expands its reach through the increased participation of artists and visitors, along with conferences and workshops. This special edition marks a milestone for the CLM, further strengthening its collaboration with the Fine Art Ceramic Center, which will host the exhibition from February 7th to 23rd, 2025. As part of the event’s expansion, more than 60 CLM member artists will participate, showcasing a wide range of techniques and styles—from functional to abstract and figurative works—highlighting the versatility and richness that defines contemporary ceramic art.
READ MORE
In Miami, you hear a lot about art, but not so much about craft. James Herring's work in ceramics fuses the two. Herring eschews the title of "artist" and sees the resurgence of crafts and craftsmanship as a necessity for human growth in modern times. An outspoken supporter and practitioner of the maker movement, Herring has maintained a presence locally by doing demonstrations and leading classes and workshops on the ancient craft.
READ MORE
In close collaboration with the Fine Art Ceramic Center, the annual juried exhibition for its members was open to the public from Friday, February 9, through Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas. This year's exhibition featured works from forty members, in various formats and techniques. The show was juried by Kelly and Kyle Phelps, nationally recognized collaborating artists, twins, and art professors based in Ohio.
READ MOREConceived by art collector Leonardo Rodríguez, owner and founder of the former Kendall Art Cultural Center —now the Kendall Museum of Contemporary Arts of the Americas—the Fine Arts Ceramic Center emerged in 2020 with the purpose of creating an artistic project based entirely on the art of ceramics. A workshop equipped with all the necessary resources and tools to produce high-quality artwork on-site was set up in a space adjacent to the Kendall Art Center. Fifty artists were invited to create works on ceramic plates. The result could be seen in the first ceramic plate art exhibition titled "Fine Arts of the Plate," inaugurated on November 27th of the same year.
Since then, the workshop has continued to add new pieces to the collection and has started the production of murals, sculptures, and installations. It has organized workshops, inviting renowned artists, and works to bring ceramics education and practice to the community. The Fine Arts Ceramic Center participated as a guest in the recently concluded NCECA's 57th Annual Conference, Current, in Cincinnati, Ohio from March 15-18, 2023.
Currently, the center is working on the simultaneous creation of nearly 200 pieces of art by a similar number of artists from both Cuba and the rest of the Americas. With the same spirit as the first day, the FACC strives every day to disseminate and promote within its community the history, beauty, and above all, the immense possibilities of ceramics as a support for the most surprising and groundbreaking works of art.
The Rodríguez Ceramics Collection is composed of ceramic works from over 70 artists, beginning with the initial 450 ceramic plates which inaugurated the collection back in 2020, the RCC has expanded to include ceramic murals, sculptures and innovative installations. All designed, developed and fired at the Fine Arts Ceramic Center.
The RCC is mostly composed of over 500 hand painted ceramic plates, each created with by individual artists in Leonardo Rodríguez's permanent collection; invited to translate their signature style from canvas to ceramics. The RCC has expanded to include up to 70 artists to date, with more being invited to produce and contribute to the collection every year.
The integration of ceramic murals into the collection was based on the desire to meld the tradition of a wall-hung work of art, with the innovation and beauty of the ceramic medium. The utilization of hand painted ceramic tiles gave the invited artists the chance to produce and design on a larger scale. The murals constituted the second phase of ceramic production in the FACC.
Sculptures and installations make up a growing part of the ceramics collection. Made entirely of ceramic the FACC's development of large-scale sculptures and installations demonstrates how ceramics is able to be taken to new and daring heights. The sculptures in the collection are the result of the creativity and ingenuity of their artists.
