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Tue, Jan 27, 2026 6:00pm–7:30pm

Subject Matters: Is It Clay?

Tue, Jan 27, 2026
6:00pm–7:30pm
Museum of Art

Is it clay? Is it wood? Is it… cake? Ceramics in Asian art can be experimental, ingenious, and sometimes just downright surprising. From vessels that mimic fabric to sculptures that defy what clay should be able to do, artists across Asia have spent centuries pushing this humble material into extraordinary forms. 

Join UMMA Curator Dave Choberka and UMMA Curator of Asian Art Natsu Oyobe for a discussion about the history of UMMA’s Asian Art collection through the lens of clay: how it was shaped, traded, transformed, and elevated into one of the most influential artistic traditions in the world. This 90-minute Subject Matters event uncovers a dazzling history of UMMA’s Asian Art collection.  ​ Featuring special guest Kara Ma, Chinese art research specialist, and UMMA’s program manager for the Chinese Object Study Workshops. 

Subject Matters

Subject Matters is the coolest S in the museum. Each 90-minute session is part mind-expanding conversation, part social adventure. UMMA Curator Dave Choberka teams up with a U-M professor or other special guest to unravel surprising questions sparked by the art in UMMA’s galleries.

SUPPORT

UMMA’s Subject Matter events are generously supported by Sol Bermann & Laurel Draudt.

Lead support for this exhibition is provided by Amelia and Eliot Relles, the Benedek Endowment Fund for the Humanities, the Richard and Rosann Noel Fund for Museum Education, the Kaish-Dorfman Campus Curriculum Fund, and U-M Ross Business.