Pablo Picasso was a prolific ceramicist, a medium he developed when he was already in the South of France. In 1946 in Golfe Juan with his friend Louis Fort, Picasso decided to visit a pottery exhibition in Vallauris. He took a particular interest in the Madoura space and asked to be introduced to the owners – Suzanne and Georges Ramié. They invited him to their Madoura Pottery workshop in Vallauris. This was the beginning of a new chapter for the most celebrated artist of the 20th century.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Cheongju presents Picasso Ceramics until January 2024. The show features 108 of Picasso’s ceramic pieces. They were selected from the museum’s Lee Kun-hee Collection, which is assembled by the late Samsung Group chairman and donated as his estate in 2021.

Ceramics was a new challenge Picasso took up in his later years while still at the peak of his painting career. He grew fascinated with the production processes involved and created a vast number of beautiful pieces, vases, plates and various shapes. This exhibition traces works in clay and his inspiration, often found among animals and in nature.

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