What’s New?
3 October 2026 – 11 April 2027
What’s new in CLAY’s collection? In What’s New?, we present a selection of ceramic works acquired for the museum’s collection since 2020.
The exhibition spans more than 250 years of ceramic history, from 1775 to the present day. Here, 19th-century porcelain with topographical motifs, works from the Danish Skønvirke period and hand-painted pieces from the major Danish porcelain factories meet contemporary experimental ceramics.
Across periods, techniques and artistic expressions, What’s New? demonstrates the remarkable diversity of ceramics and presents a museum collection that continues to evolve.
From Vessel to Figure
Contemporary ceramics are represented by recently acquired works by Cathrine Raben Davidsen, Malene Hartmann Rasmussen, Morten Løbner Espersen, Rose Eken and Steen Ipsen, among others.
In Cathrine Raben Davidsen’s work, the classical vessel meets the human figure. A face emerges subtly from the glazed surface, while the elongated handles take on an almost arm-like appearance. The boundary between vessel and body becomes fluid, lending the familiar form a human presence.
Another imaginative creature can be found in Malene Hartmann Rasmussen’s Tang Manden og Hav Spejl. The figure appears to grow like an organism from the seabed. Its densely modelled green surface continues into the circular mirror, drawing the viewer into the work. Nature, myth and the everyday object come together in a single piece.
Colour as Subject
In the Colour Drenched series, created by Morten Løbner Espersen in 2025, colours cascade down simple cylindrical forms in layers of yellow, pink, blue, black and white. The movement of the glaze, the encounters between colours and the traces left by the firing process become the subject of the work itself.
The works continue Løbner Espersen’s longstanding exploration of the relationship between a simple ceramic form and the more unpredictable nature of glaze. The form remains restrained, allowing the colour to take over.
A Jacket Made of Clay
Rose Eken turns her attention to everyday life and music culture. At first glance, Battle Jacket with Hoodie and Misfits Patch resembles a worn denim jacket with a hoodie, badges and patches associated with punk and heavy metal culture.
But the jacket is not made of fabric. It is made of paper clay. In the transformation from soft textile to fired clay, the familiar object takes on a new character, while traces of music, youth culture and personal identity are preserved in the ceramic material.
Form and Movement
In Steen Ipsen’s work, recognisable references have almost disappeared. Ellipse 13/2023 consists of glossy, deep-red ceramic elements assembled and held together by black PVC cords. The forms press against one another, creating a sculpture that appears both organic and rigorously constructed.
Ipsen works at the intersection of ceramics, sculpture and design, where repetition, rhythm and the contrast between the red glaze and the black lines contribute to the work’s dynamic character.
A Collection in Development
These five works represent only a small selection of the many recent acquisitions presented in What’s New?
A museum collection never stands still. Some new works add further chapters to artists and areas already represented in CLAY’s collection. Others introduce new artistic positions and narratives within the museum’s collecting remit.
In What’s New?, you can therefore experience not only some of the works that have most recently become part of CLAY’s collection. The exhibition also offers an insight into why the museum collects and the curatorial considerations that shape the continuing development of the collection.
With Thanks to the Generous Donors Behind the Works in the Exhibition
Augustinus Fonden
Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond
CLAY Venner
H.M. Queen Margrethe
Lemvigh-Müller Fonden
Ny Carlsbergfondet
Royal Copenhagen
Juni Fonden
Niels Schou
Anders Uhrskov
Erik Veistrup and other private donors