Akande takes centre stage at world ceramics congress in China

Nigerian ceramic artist Femi Akande has achieved a significant international milestone, earning election into the prestigious International Academy of Ceramics (IAC). His work is also featured in the organization's flagship New Members’ Exhibition, held in Jingdezhen, China, a city renowned as the porcelain capital of the world.

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Beyond the ceremonial honour and professional recognition, such an election signifies that the artist’s contributions are not only technically accomplished but also culturally and historically significant to the field of ceramics.

Akande's piece, "Vessel of Becoming (2026)," is part of an exhibition titled "Beyond Boundaries, New Frontiers in Ceramic Experimentation." This showcase features approximately 200 works by newly elected IAC members from over 50 countries. The exhibition opened on June 30, 2026, at the Taoxichuan Art Museum and will run until August 30, 2026. It forms part of the 52nd Congress and General Assembly of the IAC, which convened from June 27 to July 2, 2026, under the theme “Ceramics: Inheritance and Innovation.”

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My goal is simple, and it is everything: to remind the world that clay remembers.

The IAC, founded in Geneva in 1952 and affiliated with UNESCO, is recognized as the foremost international body for ceramic art. Membership is granted through a peer-review process, making Akande's inclusion a notable acknowledgment of his artistic contributions. Dr. Michael Fajuyigbe, an art historian and critic at Obafemi Awolowo University, described the election as a rare distinction for Nigerian ceramics, signifying that Akande's work possesses technical, cultural, and historical significance.

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Long before the written word, human hands pressed meaning into earth, in Yoruba compounds, in Chinese kilns, in Japanese tea houses, and in the firing pits of every civilisation that ever sought to hold the sacred in material form. I work within that ancient, unbroken conversation.

Akande expressed that the recognition offers an opportunity to emphasize the deep connection between clay, culture, and human experiences across generations. "My goal is simple, and it is everything: to remind the world that clay remembers," he stated. His artwork "Vessel of Becoming" is crafted from stoneware, bead string wire, underglaze, and glaze. It depicts a fractured ceramic shell from which a serene human bust emerges, incorporating mosaic-like fragments, beadwork, and zoomorphic elements, including the chameleon, a symbol of adaptability and resilience in Yoruba culture.

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Alagẹ́mọ symbolises adaptability, mediation, resilience, stealth and caution, signifying sacred transformation that aligns with a variety of values without necessarily losing one’s originality and identity.