Common Ground Delft hosts global ceramics exhibition

DELFT, 19 May 2026 – Common Ground brings eight ceramic artists from five continents to the Old Church in Delft from 23 May to 4 July. The exhibition uses clay as its shared language, connecting work from Nigeria, India, Chile, China, Australia and beyond in one of Delft’s most historic spaces.

_{Image: Nigerian ceramicist Adeoti Azeez Afeez. His work is also included, but the artist himself could not come to Delft. His visa application for the Netherlands was rejected.}

For Rotterdammers, this is an easy regional culture trip with a strong story behind it. Delft’s ceramic history is never far away, but Common Ground looks beyond Delft Blue (Delfts blauw) and places the city in a wider global conversation about earth, craft, migration, housing and belonging.

Clay connects continents

Clay is one of the oldest materials people have used to shape their surroundings. It exists on every continent, but it behaves differently depending on the soil, climate, hands and traditions that work with it.

That is the core idea behind Common Ground – A world of ceramics. The same material can become a different object, message or gesture in Lagos, Shanghai, Santiago, Sydney or Delft, yet it still begins with the ground beneath us.

Eight artists gather

The exhibition brings together eight artists from five continents in the Old Church (Oude Kerk), one of Delft’s most recognisable historic buildings. Some artists travel to Delft to create part of their work on site, which gives the exhibition a direct connection with the city.

“In a time of increasing polarisation and tensions, it is important to pause and consider what connects us. That is the earth itself, our common ground,” says Simone Haak, curator and founder of Galerie Terra Delft.

Three works show the range of the exhibition especially clearly. Indian artist Prithwiraj Mali has created an installation of 4,000 hand-shaped houses, referring to the global housing crisis and the shared struggle to find an affordable place to live.

Chilean artist Keka Ruiz works with traditional open-fire firing techniques. During her residency in Delft, she created a new work called Common Ground: five hands that connect the five continents.

Absence becomes part

The work of Nigerian ceramicist Adeoti Azeez Afeez is also included, but the artist himself could not come to Delft. His visa application for the Netherlands was rejected.

That absence gives the exhibition an extra layer. His ceramics are present, while the maker is not, unintentionally showing how movement across the world is still shaped by borders, permissions and unequal access.

Delft adds context

Delft is a meaningful setting for this exhibition. The city became internationally known for Delft Blue, the earthenware traded across the world in the seventeenth century.

Here, ceramics is not only something behind glass. It is part of the city’s identity, its craft history and its international connections. Placing contemporary ceramic work from five continents inside the Old Church adds another layer to that story.

Galerie Terra marks forty

Behind Common Ground is a network built by Galerie Terra Delft over four decades. Founders Simone Haak and Joke Doedens travelled to art fairs around the world and developed artist-in-residence programmes, including in Jingdezhen in China.

Jingdezhen is Delft’s sister city and has been known for centuries as a historic centre of porcelain production. That long-running international network now makes it possible to bring artists from five continents together in one Delft exhibition.

Ceramics fill Delft

Common Ground also lands during a wider ceramics season in Delft. At Royal Delft Museum, Urban Blue – from Bricks to Tiles runs until 23 August, with six international street artists creating tile panels in dialogue with Delft Blue craftsmanship.

On 28 and 29 June, the Delft Ceramics Days (Delftse Keramiek Dagen) bring a ceramics market and several exhibitions to the city. So yes, if you have ever needed an excuse to spend a day in Delft staring lovingly at clay, Delft has handed it to you on a glazed plate.

How to get there

The exhibition is shown in the Old Church in Delft, at Heilige Geestkerkhof 25. From Rotterdam, take the train to Delft and walk through the historic city centre towards the Oude Delft canal area. The church sits between Oude Delft and Voorstraat, with its leaning tower making it rather hard to miss.

Practical details

Common Ground – A world of ceramics runs from 23 May to 4 July 2026 at the Old Church in Delft. The exhibition is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and closed on Sundays.

Visitors to Galerie Terra receive a free admission ticket. Combined admission to the Old Church and New Church is €10. More information is available via www.terra-delft.nl.