Regis Brodie, Rut Bryk, Kathy Butterly, Nicole Cherubini, John Curry, Detone, Mike Helke, Myrton Purkiss, Robert Sedestrom, Frances Simches, Malcolm Wright: Pursuing Possibilities: Explorations in Glaze

Pursuing Possibilities: Explorations in Glaze features works from the Tang Museum collection that demonstrate how the chemical composition of glazes affects the visual outcome of ceramic works. Presenting a range of glazing effects in combination with various surface textures and firing techniques, the exhibition examines the relationship between scientific experimentation and artistic exploration in ceramics and how the chemistry of glazes can drive an artist’s vision.

Although the final result of a glazed work cannot be known entirely before firing, artists can use the chemical recipes of glazes to anticipate certain visual results. Glaze—a mixture of water and the powdered chemical compounds silica, flux, and alumina—contains different metal oxides in varying quantities that produce a wide range of colors. In addition to experimenting with color, artists may alter glaze compositions to achieve effects like mottling, lustered surfaces, and running streaks.

By engaging with a selection of artists’ ideas, intentions, and relationships with glazes, Pursuing Possibilities: Explorations in Glaze explores what aspects of the visual outcome can be expected, what remains unpredictable, and why an artist might embrace the element of chance.

Pursuing Possibilities: Explorations in Glaze is organized by Emily Lin ’26, the 2025-26 Charina Endowment Fund Endowed Intern, and is supported by the Carter-Rodriguez Fund for Student-Curated Projects and Friends of the Tang. The exhibition is the capstone project of Lin’s internship, a yearlong opportunity to introduce a student to post-graduate life by providing academic and practical experience in one or more areas of the Tang.