There are a lot of great new books focusing on ceramics and pottery this year. This posts covers ten new books on ceramic artists and technique that were published in 2024, and a few from the very end of 2023.
Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors by Ben Carter
An excellent introduction and guide to the world of low-fire glazes by Ben Carter, host of the Red Clay Rambler podcast and author of the popular book Mastering the Potter’s Wheel. This new book covers all aspects of mixing glazes, and includes numerous full-color images of example work along with a variety of recipes.
Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors
By Ben Carter
Hardcover, 176 pages
published September 2024 by Quarry Books
Listed at $30 but usually available for $27
Magdalena Suarez Frimkess: The Finest Disregard
Catalogue from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art retrospective of ceramic artist Magdalena Suarez Frimkess. The 95-year-old artist is definitely having a moment this year and this wonderful catalogue is full of images of work, mostly from the past 10 years, along with essays and more.
Check out this post on the catalogue as well.
The Finest Disregard
Published by Los Angeles County Museum of Art and DelMonico Books, 2024
Hardcover, 128 pages
Listed at $49.95
Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within
Another exhibition catalogue that is a worthy addition to any library is Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within, which accompanies the traveling exhibition of the same name. A long-due exploration of the artist, who lived from 1922 to 2011, the catalogue includes essays, lots of full-color images, and even some writings by Takaezu herself. The catalogue includes many examples of the “closed forms” which Takaezu is known for, along with other ceramics, paintings, and more.
Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within
By Glenn Adamson and others
Published by Yale University Press
Hardcover, 368 pages
Listed at $65 but usually available for less
Glazes for the Contemporary Maker by Louisa Taylor
Louisa Taylor is a ceramic stalwart now, having published multiple editions of The Ceramics Bible and Ceramics Masterclass in 2020 (Check out a full review of Masterclass here). In her latest book, Taylor covers everything you need to get started with glazing. Chapters include “Establishing Your Glaze Practice,” studio setup, firing, and more, along with 200 illustrated recipes. Not as specific as the Low-Fire book mentioned above, this is a more general guide for getting started at all temperatures of firing ceramics.
Glazes for the Contemporary Maker
By Louisa Taylor
Published March, 2024 by The Crowood Press
144 pages
Listed $29.99 but usually available for less
Magdalene Odundo: A Dialogue with Objects
Magdalene Odundo is a Kenyan-born, British artist known for elegant vessels that draw on traditions ranging from Aztec to Chinese to African pottery, and are in dialogue with contemporary traditions including modernism. In this survey work, potter and art historian Sequoia Miller provides a new perspective on Odundo’s work, and includes an in-depth look at Odundo’s prints and sketchbooks. The book includes a foreword by Susan Jefferies and contributions by Nehal El-Hadi, Elizabeth Harney, and Barbara Thompson.
Magdalena Odundo: A Dialogue with Objects
By Sequoia Miller and others
Published September 2024 by Princeton University Press
Hardcover, 112 pages
Listed at $49.95 but usually available for less
Thrown by Lilly Maetzig
Following up 2023’s Handbuilt, Maetzig returns with a new book in a similar format, this time focusing on the pottery wheel. The book includes 20 projects ranging from dinner plates to lamp shades, and includes making, decorating, and firing instructions. If you are a fan of the artist’s Mae Ceramics line, or just looking for an inspirational book, this is a good introduction to functional homewares made on the wheel.
Thrown
By Lilly Maetzig
Published October 2024 by Quadrille Press
160 pages
Listed at $29.99
Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists From Japan
Accompanying an exhibition of the same name, this catalogue explores 36 women artists from Japan who have made ceramic work in the past 50 years. Richly illustrated with short texts on each artists, this is a beautiful overview of recent work from Japan. The exhibition was at the Art Institute of Chicago last year, and is currently at the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, and will travel to The Ackland Art Museum at UNC Chapel Hill in 2025.
Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists From Japan
Edited by Joe Earle
Published Novemeber 2023 by the Art Institute of Chicago
128 Pages
Listed at $30 but often available for less
Architectural Pottery: Ceramics for a Modern Landscape
The book focuses on the firm Architectural Pottery, which launched in 1950 with modernist ceramic objects designed for the new houses being built in America. Accompanying an exhibition at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, Calif., this book includes numerous black and white and color images. A must for any fan of midcentury modernism, this work also provides a historical background to the numerous artists and companies making large-scale ceramic furniture and planters today.
Architectural Pottery: Ceramics for a Modern Landscape
By Daniel Chavkin, Jeffrey Head, and Jo Lauria
Published September 2024 by The Monacelli Press
256 pages
Listed $59.95 but usually available for less
Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine
A small monograph on the Venezuelan artist Tecla Tofano (1927–1995), this book includes essays and images on this innovative artist. Tofano’s work is often totemic but also domestic, and explores issues of maternity, sexism, and socioeconomic status.
Tecla Tofano: This Body of Mine
Published February, 2024 by James Cohan Gallery
112 pages, softcover
Listed at $35 but often available for less
Dried Peyote and 7 Up: The Work and Vision of Michael Frimkess
A limited-edition book (edition of 250), this book focuses on Los Angeles ceramist Michael Frimkess (and spouse of Magdalena Suarez Frimkess). This is the first monograph on the artist’s 60-year plus career.
Dried Peyote and 7 Up: The Work and Vision of Michael Frimkess
Paperback
$100
For more books, check out these posts previous years:
Best Pottery and Ceramic Books 2023
Best Pottery Technique Books 2022
Best Ceramic History Books and Monographs 2022
You might also enjoy our Gift Guide for Potters
