CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-An extraordinary collection of ceramic vessels that reflect the intimate connection between pottery and daily life across the African continent will be displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago this winter. The exhibition, For Hearth and Altar: African Ceramics from the Keith Achepohl Collection, on view in Regenstein Hall, presents 125 exquisite pieces of hand-wrought African ceramics. For Hearth and Altar will be the first public viewing of private collector Keith Achepohl's extensive collection of terracotta vessels from Africa-approximately half of which are promised gifts to the Art Institute. The exhibition brings attention to the beauty of functional pottery as it extends across domestic and ritual spheres.

Chicago native Keith Achepohl--who has collected African pottery for more than 20 years--is a noted printmaker and an emeritus professor of printmaking at the University of Iowa. Focusing on the aesthetic accomplishment of each work, Achepohl assembled a collection that displays the extraordinary range and artistry of African ceramics. The Achepohl collection includes examples of hand-built pottery from across the African continent-from cultures such as the Bamana, Maninka, and the Somono of Mali; the Berber of Northern Africa; the Jerma of Niger; the Mafa of west-central Cameroon; and the Zulu of South Africa. The majority of works date to the 20th century, though a small group of archaeological ceramics is also included.

The art of pottery has been widely practiced in Africa since the first centuries A.D. Even today the essential elements of a potter's work--the forming, embellishing, and firing of clay--link us to our distant ancestors. Basic processes and techniques have changed little over time and have been passed down from generation to generation. African potters have long engaged in their craft as a form of visual expression, creating a wide range of unique and often surprising ceramic wares for uses that span domestic and ritual spheres. Made of terracotta and fired in the open, African pottery is functional. The vessels are created to transport and store grain or water, to prepare food or medicines, to safeguard valued possessions, or to honor or facility communication with spirits or ancestors. The unique qualities of each piece allows one to appreciate the intimacy and individuality of the potter's touch.

For Hearth and Altar: Ceramics from the Keith Achepohl Collection was organized by the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition was curated by Kathleen Bickford Berzock, curator of African art. For Hearth and Altar is generously funded by the Clarence Spanjer Endowment.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Art Institute, in association with Yale University Press, has published a beautifully illustrated 203-page catalogue that brings even greater focus the ceramics from the Keith Achepohl collection. The catalogue, written by Kathleen Bickford Berzock, includes an in-depth interview with Achepohl, followed by an introductory essay on the historical roots of ceramic traditions in Africa. The book also offers detailed entries on all 125 objects featured in the exhibition. Documentary photographs further reveal the traditions and techniques from which these unique and varied ceramics were borne. The catalogue sells for $45 and is available in the Museum Shop and online.