Ceramics is important to understand how many histories have shaped design

Curated by Pablo José Ramirez from the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, Smoke has been one of the highlights of the latest edition of Frieze London: a section dedicated to showcasing the most distinctive voices from the Global South, who use ceramics as a medium of artistic exploration to revisit pre-colonial forms and imagery through a contemporary lens. A project that contributes to a crucial discourse, regardless of the limited duration of the fair event.

The desire for greater inclusivity in the art world is now an established approach. However, in the case of Smoke, this endeavor resonates as a double celebration. On one hand, there is the intention to highlight the work of artists from Latin America and the diaspora, who represent non-Western cultures. On the other hand, there is a desire to do justice to a prolific and sensitive medium — working with clay, as Smoke emphasizes— often unfairly relegated to the realm of minor arts.

The eleven selected artists, including Manuel Chavajay, Honduran Adán Vallecillo, and Christine Howard Sandoval, presented predominantly sculptural works that echo the stylistic elements of much pre-colonial art, often elevating them through abstraction, with a raw and conceptual touch, yet still evoking an animistic and holistic presence. More intimate compared to the rest of the fair, both in terms of exhibitors and works on display, Smoke nevertheless provided a vivid snapshot of a research that transcends more predictable decorative canons. And perhaps precisely for this reason, it proves capable of evoking unexpected imagery — a new dimension, largely unknown to the wider public until now.