The Alchemy of Beauty: An Interview with Asian Ceramics Expert Eric Zetterquist

Tucked away in the heart of Manhattan is Zetterquist Gallery, a hidden treasure trove housing an extraordinary collection of Asian ceramics spanning over a millennium. Much to our delight, when we arrived the gallery was holding an exhibition on Chinese antiquities dating from the 4th to the 14th centuries.

There, we met the gallery’s founder Eric Zetterquist, a revered figure within the rarefied world of ancient Asian antiquities. Having established his gallery in 1992, Zetterquist has since devoted himself to the specialized field of ceramics. His salon-style space, reflecting in-depth expertise and discerning taste, has attracted many esteemed clients, including prestigious institutions such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, alongside discerning collectors worldwide.

Our conversation with Zetterquist shed light on his lifelong passion for Chinese antiquities. “I enjoy examining ancient artifacts in a modern context and applying a contemporary perspective to them,” he says.

His thought-provoking exhibitions offer audiences profound insights into ancient objects—the stories they tell and the significance they bear—within a setting that makes them accessible to contemporary audiences.

Yet Zetterquist’s approach to ceramics goes beyond aesthetics. To him, each piece is a narrative of history and culture. In an era when appreciation for ancient arts is increasingly scarce, Zetterquist’s work serves as a bridge, connecting the artistic wonders of the past with the present.

An unexpected journey

Zetterquist’s foray into Asian ceramics is a tale of fate and passion. While studying at New York University (NYU), he sought a job fitting his academic schedule, eventually arriving at the SoHo-based Japanese gallery owned by renowned Japanese photographer and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. Here, Zetterquist’s unexpected proficiency in the Japanese language, acquired by chance, opened doors to a new world.

He managed the Japanese art gallery for a decade until Sugimoto decided to close it to focus on photography. This pivotal moment inspired Zetterquist to open his own space, dedicating it to the rich and diverse world of Asian ceramics.

“There’s a certain thrill in discovery,” Zetterquist says. In particular, his encounter with Robert and Lisa Sainsbury was a highlight of his journey.

The Sainsburys, owners of the eponymous UK supermarket chain, devoted their lives to what they described as “an unplanned voyage of discovery in the world of art,” a phrase quoted from a three-volume book documenting the couple’s vast and extraordinary collection.

This collection, spanning 5,000 years of global art history, is celebrated as one of the greatest of the 20th century and is now housed at the University of East Anglia. Despite its diversity, the Sainsbury collection exudes a cohesive aesthetic, almost as if each piece were crafted by the same hand.

“The great collectors keep to their unique vision or ‘thesis,’ whether it’s curating an encyclopedic range or focusing on a specific aesthetic theme,” Zetterquist says. As an advisor, Zetterquist guided the Sainsburys toward pieces that further enriched their collection.

The essence of form

As a curator, connoisseur, and dedicated aesthete, Zetterquist has always held a steadfast belief in the paramount importance of form when it comes to valuing antique ceramics. “A strong form captivates and surprises every time. It’s endlessly pleasing,” he says.

Dissecting the aesthetics of ceramic pots can be a highly complex and nuanced process, encompassing various elements: line, shape, silhouette, contour, texture, volume, and mass. Understanding the kinetic choreography of these elements in the final composition can be both visually mesmerizing and intellectually fascinating, as any serious devotee of the medium can attest. However, for most people, this intricate dance often goes unnoticed, overshadowed by the allure of surface decoration. The logic of shape is sometimes sacrificed for the appeal of its decorative patterns.

Zetterquist, however, has become a master linguist in the secret language of pots. His profound appreciation for the inherent beauty of forms has led him to embark on a remarkable journey—a series of photography portraits capturing the essence of Asian ceramics dating from 2500 B.C. to 1600 A.D.

Through his lens, Zetterquist abstracts and simplifies these form portraits, skillfully removing extraneous details and dimensionality. The result is a collection of large-scale, flattened images with edges that evoke the aesthetics of traditional Asian calligraphy—bold and precise, yet devoid of the romanticism of brush strokes. The matte, inky black backgrounds and seemingly splashed edges, combined with the textured paper on which they’re printed, pay homage to the artistry of ceramics while adding a contemporary twist to them.

Zetterquist’s unique interpretation of ancient ceramics through his photography hasn’t gone unnoticed but rather caught the discerning eye of the director of the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, renowned for housing one of the finest East Asian ceramic collections in the world. Following a modest yet impactful exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Zetterquist was invited to photograph a selection of the Ataka collection at the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka. This remarkable collection featured exquisite national treasures, including Guanyao and Longquan pieces, and comprised 37 large-scale masterpieces, all captured through Zetterquist’s lens.

Art as a part of everyday life

Zetterquist believes in integrating art into daily living, a philosophy evident in his gallery’s design, which adopts a salon-style approach. “Placing items on pedestals in a white cube-style gallery can be intimidating for people, especially in ceramics. There’s a fear of breaking something,” Zetterquist says. Instead, he advocates for a more approachable and tactile way of interacting with art.

Zetterquist draws inspiration from the Japanese tokonoma—a unique, personal nook in traditional homes used for presenting art. “You don’t need to display everything at once,” he says. “Creating a niche in your home, akin to a tokonoma, allows for curated mini-exhibitions that change over time.”

“Tokyo, despite being a massive, bustling city, weaves beauty into its fabric in small yet impactful ways, such as a flower arrangement in a restaurant or a stone Buddha in a garden,” Zetterquist says. These ‘micro-blasts’ of beauty, as he calls them, add a sense of serenity and joy to everyday life.

“Everyone can find their way to incorporate art into their lives, a practice I strongly recommend,” he says.
Zetterquist often reflects on the more profound meaning and significance of art pieces, particularly their role in positioning us within the grand tapestry of history and existence. “These works remind us that we’re merely specks in a timeline that spans thousands of years. It’s a humbling realization that we’re just a small part of a long continuum of humanity, all innately wired to appreciate beauty,” he says.

In his gallery, Zetterquist deliberately juxtaposes ancient ceramics with his photography. His aim is to display ancient artifacts in a manner that highlights their timelessness. This approach not only bridges the gap between different eras of human creativity but also encourages viewers to contemplate their place in the vast, ongoing narrative of art and human history.

It’s an undertaking that’s certainly worth celebrating.