Bringing together newly elected members of the Academy from around the world, the exhibition celebrates the diversity and innovation of contemporary ceramic practice in one of the world’s most renowned centres of porcelain production. For the Latvian collaborative duo, this invitation represents an important international recognition of their contribution to the field of contemporary ceramics.

Working together since 1999, Ingūna Skuja and Melissa Braden have developed a distinctive artistic language that combines exceptional technical mastery with conceptually rich narratives. Their porcelain sculptures explore themes of identity, mythology, ecology, politics, and the human condition, transforming a material deeply rooted in tradition into a powerful medium for contemporary expression. Balancing beauty with irony and fragility with resilience, their works challenge conventional distinctions between craft and fine art while expanding the expressive possibilities of ceramics.

Presented in Jingdezhen—the historic cradle of porcelain—the IAC New Members’ Exhibition provides an international platform for dialogue between heritage and innovation, tradition and experimentation. Within this context, Skuja Braden’s practice exemplifies the evolving language of contemporary ceramics, reaffirming porcelain’s capacity to engage with the complexities of the present while contributing to an ongoing global conversation about the future of the medium.