One of the oldest genres of art creation, ceramic pieces are fabricated using earth, water, clay and fire—a four step process of forming, firing, glazing and re-firing is most common. Painted, thrown and ornately cast, ceramics are found in all cultures, time-periods and mediums, spanning the length of history. The evolution of culture bore various manifestations of this sculptural material, including earthenware, stoneware, porcelain and bone china. While originally functional, figurative and decorative works, from the statuette Venus of Willendorf, to the elaborately painted tiles of China and Mesopotamia, developed alongside techniques such as wheel-throwing, mold-making, Japanese raku, and brick construction.

In the twentieth century, ceramic sculpture was further explored through the lens of various artistic movements and styles, from the ornately gilded figurines of the French Rococo period to the mingei folk-art pieces of Japanesse potter Shōji Hamada. Contemporary sculptors like Katsuyo Aoki, Rachel Kneebone, Sterling Ruby and Brian Rochefort continue to explore the boundaries of ceramic art-making, producing unique and novel ceramic forms.