Charcoal-Burnished Vessel

Kenyan-born ceramic artist Magdalene Odundo is one of the foremost contemporary artists from Africa working today. Born in Kenya in 1950 and currently living in the United Kingdom, Odundo creates works that rely on a unique combination of formal and surface treatments and are almost ethereal in their effect. Odundo attained the dark and slightly metallic color of this vessel through multiple firings rather than the application of glazes. The work’s tilted and ringed neck, raised spine, and round belly connect it to other vessels in Odundo’s oeuvre that explore the female body. The beauty, refinement, and technical mastery of Odundo’s art allow her work to transcend stereotypes and boundaries. While her vessels resonate with ceramic traditions from Africa and other parts of the world, they also stand on an equal footing with other works of contemporary art, particularly those that challenge commonly held notions about functionality (see also 1997.63).