For more than five decades, Dame Magdalene Odundo has reshaped the world’s understanding of ceramics, not merely as decorative art or craft, but as an intellectual and deeply human practice. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1950 and now based in the United Kingdom, she is known for her burnished surfaces, sensuous curves, and an almost lifelike presence. In recent years, her influence has expanded beyond museum walls and into high fashion, cementing her status as one of the most influential ceramics artists of our time.

Yet Odundo’s journey did not begin with clay. Initially, Odundo trained as a graphic artist in Kenya and later in India. Her early education was rooted in visual communication and design, disciplines grounded in precision and clarity. In 1971, she moved to England, intending to study commercial art at the Cambridge School of Art. However, curiosity and a growing desire to experiment led her toward evening classes in metalwork and etching, and eventually, pottery.

The moment clay responded to her hands, her trajectory shifted irrevocably.

What began as tactile discovery soon evolved into cultural inquiry. Between 1974 and 1975, Odundo traveled through Nigeria and Kenya, learning hand-building and low-firing techniques from local women potters. She also studied blackware pottery in New Mexico. These experiences became foundational, shaping a signature language: hand-built, unglazed vessels burnished to a luminous glow, drawing from African, European, Indigenous American, and ancient ceramic traditions.

Education, Teaching, and Enduring Influence

Odundo’s academic rigor mirrors the discipline of her studio practice. She earned a BA from West Surrey College of Art and Design (now the University for the Creative Arts) before completing an MA in ceramics at the Royal College of Art in 1982.

Thereafter, she lectured at the Commonwealth Institute, the Royal College of Art, and the University for the Creative Arts, where she later retired as a professor in 2015. Nevertheless, her commitment to education did not end there. In 2018, she was appointed Chancellor of the University for the Creative Arts, and in 2020, she was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to arts education, having previously received an OBE in 2008. These honors reflect not only her artistic excellence but also her lasting impact on generations of makers and thinkers.

The Vessel as the Human Body

At the center of Magdalene Odundo’s practice is the vessel, at once functional and metaphysical. These forms stand in for the human body: fragile yet resilient, shaped as much by emptiness as by structure.

Working exclusively by hand, Odundo employs ancient coiling techniques, gradually building each piece before meticulously burnishing its surface. During firing, her signature oranges and blacks emerge naturally, without glaze, preserving the clay’s porosity and tactile integrity.

Importantly, the silhouettes evoke the body itself. Narrow necks suggest spines; swelling bellies recall breath or pregnancy; subtle asymmetries echo human imperfection. Drawing from civilizations including ancient Egypt, the Cyclades, Aztec cultures, and Yoruba and Zulu traditions, her vessels feel timeless. They resist trend, yet remain unmistakably contemporary.

Museum Recognition and Market Ascension

Since the 1990s, Odundo’s work has entered major institutional collections, including the British Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curatorial respect preceded market validation, yet the latter eventually followed.

In 2020, a 1990 vessel tripled its estimate at Sotheby’s London, selling for £723,900 (nearly $1 million). The result marked a significant moment, positioning ceramics firmly within the fine art market’s upper tiers.

Subsequent solo exhibitions at the Hepworth Wakefield, Sainsbury Centre, Fitzwilliam Museum, and High Museum of Art further secured her global standing. Meanwhile, her debut at Xavier Hufkens in Brussels, which included both new ceramic works and her glass piece Transition II (2014), demonstrated her willingness to experiment while maintaining remarkable consistency.

Fashion Unites with Ceramics at Dior

In January 2026, Odundo reached an entirely new audience when her work became a central reference for Jonathan Anderson’s debut couture collection as creative director of Dior.

Staged at the Musée Rodin in Paris, the Spring/Summer 2026 haute couture show, titled Grammar of Forms, integrated Odundo’s sculptures directly into the presentation. Anderson drew from her silhouettes, terracotta palette, and burnished textures, translating them into pleated gowns, voluminous skirts, and sculptural outerwear.

The collection was widely praised for its craft and cultural depth. At the same time, it sparked important conversations about attribution, compensation, and the ethics of artist–fashion collaborations. For many observers, the moment represented long-overdue recognition of contemporary African and diasporic art within high fashion.

Still Rising, Still Grounded

Now in her mid-70s, Odundo remains firmly rooted in her studio practice. Despite renewed global interest in ceramics, she resists trend cycles. Instead, her work continues to draw from enduring themes: migration, identity, vulnerability, and continuity. Whether working in clay, bronze, glass, or graphite, her process remains slow, physical, and contemplative.

Ultimately, Magdalene Odundo unites past and present, art and craft, body and object. Through her vessels, form becomes language that resonates across cultures and generations. In her hands, ceramics are not merely shaped; they are given breath.

Featured image: Cristian Barnett for The Arts Society

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