“Lucie Rie: Elegant Vessels Fusing East and West,” the first retrospective in Japan in nearly a decade dedicated to Lucie Rie, will be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum from July 4 to September 13, 2026.

Lucie Rie (1902-1995), one of the most prominent British ceramic artists of the twentieth century, was born in Vienna, Austria. She studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule, where she became captivated by the potter’s wheel and began her lifelong pursuit of ceramics. In 1938, due to the upheaval of war, she was forced into exile and relocated her practice to London. There, she developed a distinctive body of work that balances delicacy with strength. Her ceramics are celebrated for their graceful, wheel-thrown forms, intricate surface decoration using techniques such as inlay and sgraffito, and a refined palette achieved through her innovative use of glazes — qualities that continued to captivate audiences around the world.

This exhibition brings together works by Lucie Rie from collections across Japan, including pieces from the Iuchi Collection housed at the National Crafts Museum in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. It also features works by artists connected to Rie, such as Josef Hoffmann, whom she encountered in Vienna, as well as Bernard Leach, Hans Coper, and Shoji Hamada, whom she met during her time in the UK. Together, these works explore her relationship with East Asian ceramics, particularly Japanese traditions. Tracing her life and historical context from her early career to her mature period, the exhibition will also include related programs such as lectures and workshops. Held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, this exhibition offers a special opportunity to experience Rie’s world of elegant forms and the philosophies embodied in her work, set within the museum’s distinctive Art Deco interior.

◾️General information
“Lucie Rie: Elegant Vessels Fusing East and West”

Dates: July 4 – September 13, 2026
Hours: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (Last admission 5:30 pm)
*August 7, 14, 21 and 28: Open until 9:00 pm (Last admission 8:30 pm)
Closed: Every Monday
*Open on July 20 (Mon); closed on July 21 (Tue)

Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (Main Building & Annex)
5-21-9, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Admission:
Adults: JPY 1,400
College students: JPY 1,120
High school students and Seniors (age 65 and above): JPY 700
*Timed entry reservation required. Please purchase tickets via the official website in advance.
*Free admission for junior high school students and under. (no reservation required)

Official website: https://www.teien-art-museum.ne.jp/en/exhibition/lucie-rie/

Photo courtesy of Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum