The vessel is one of the most enduring forms in human history. Created to hold, preserve, and transport, it has supported daily life since the earliest days of civilization. From these practical beginnings, the archetype has continually evolved. Today, vessels carry not only physical contents, but also meaning, ingenuity, and stories.
Drawn from Fuller Craft Museum’s permanent collection, The Vessel explores the structure as both object and idea. Organized around three themes—Surface and Storytelling, Sculptural R/evolution, and The Natural World—the exhibition highlights the many ways contemporary artists reinterpret this classic form.
Some makers activate the vessel’s surface as a narrative space, layering imagery, pattern, text, and texture to convey personal and cultural histories. Others subvert utility, pushing traditional forms into sculptural territory through material experimentation and conceptual inquiry. Still other artists look outward, taking inspiration from animals, plants, and geological processes to echo the rhythms of the natural world.
Together, these works reveal the vessel’s remarkable capacity for transformation. Whether functional or abstract, intimate or monumental, the form continues to invite exploration. At its core, the vessel remains a humble yet powerful structure—one that holds meaning with as much care as it holds material things.
Roberto Lugo, Melting Pot II, 2018
Photo Credit: Will Howcroft