Adam Silverman: Common Ground

A celebration of multicultural collaboration through contemporary ceramics and exquisite ikebana arrangements

Adam Silverman creates ambitious ceramic work with site-specific materials that engage their places of origin. Similar to a chef cooking with local ingredients, his works are infused with the history, culture, issues and spirit of a place. In the fall of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, Silverman began a project to address the political and cultural divisions in America. Silverman collected materials (clay, wood ash and water) from every state and inhabited US territory and combined them into a single, new, fully integrated material. This material was then used to create 56 ceremonial vessels that celebrate the nation’s diversity and the idea of radical inclusivity. A series of 56 Ikebana arrangements made by teachers and students at Sogetsu Ikebana Los Angeles are placed in Silverman’s vessels, creating a powerful pairing of American materials and symbols with Japanese traditions.