Female ceramicists take center stage in ‘Traces’ at Kimball Art Center

PARK CITY, Utah—Kimball Art Center will unveil its latest Traces exhibition on March 7. The exhibition, which runs through May 18, highlights the work of nine female ceramicists who use clay as a vessel for storytelling. It explores how clay records touch time and history, both personal and collective.

The opening reception, which will begin at 6 p.m., will include refreshments and remarks from Aldy Milliken, the executive director of Kimball Art Center.

“Clay, with its elemental connection to the earth, is a powerful vessel for storytelling,” said Kimball Art Center Curator Nancy Stoaks. “As a material, clay inherently holds traces—of touch, time, and memory. Through their work, these artists reveal forms where the past, present, and future coexist.”

The exhibition features internationally recognized ceramicists Ashwini Bhat, Jenny Hata Blumenfield, Nicki Green, Anabel Juárez, Heidi Lau, Galia Linn, Brie Ruais, Nicole Seisler, and Bari Ziperstein.

Among the featured works is Bhat’s Agnija, Born of Fire, a glazed ceramic piece inspired by the termite mounds near her childhood home in southern India. These structures, often adorned for worship, serve as inspiration for her exploration of fire’s role in transforming raw clay into art. To achieve the desired effect, Bhat built a custom kiln around the piece and fired it for six days using gas and wood.

Also on display are sculptures by Ruais, whose textured, large-scale pieces reflect her engagement with the land through bodily movement. Her works, scraped and imprinted with dynamic patterns, examine the intersection of the human form and the natural world.

Together, the works in Traces challenge viewers to consider the imprints they leave behind and those left upon them by the world.

The exhibition coincides with the Wasatch Back Student Art Show. For more information, visit KimballArtCenter.org.