Over the last few decades, artists working with ceramics have begun to push the medium in dramatic new directions, producing wildly innovative sculptures with a craft that’s existed almost as long as human civilization itself. No longer satisfied with traditional decorative vases or functional objects, these artists have embraced a wide variety of refreshing approaches that incorporate humor, environmental awareness, and an array of unusual techniques. Not only are they building things up, but also tearing them down, reducing objects to shards before repurposing the fragments, or pummeling their own creations into damaged permanence. More