Hylton Nel Things Made Over Time

Things Made Over Time is a sweeping survey of Hylton Nel’s ceramics, from whimsical plates to insightful sculptures that blend history, humour, and critique. Featuring a foreword by Dior’s Kim Jones and photographs by Pieter Hugo, this volume captures Nel’s unique artistry and timeless appeal. An essential addition for lovers of contemporary ceramics.

Things Made Over Time offers an expansive survey of South African artist-potter Hylton Nel’s ceramics, spanning his career from the 1960s to 2024. Beginning with pieces created during his student days in Antwerp and culminating in plates painted in his Calitzdorp studio in the Klein Karoo, this collection reflects Nel's evolution as a singular voice in ceramic arts. In his eighties, Nel continues to captivate a loyal circle of collectors, while reaching new audiences in 2024 when Dior Men’s creative director, Kim Jones, showcased a collection inspired by Nel’s life and work. Jones, who contributes the foreword, highlights Nel’s vast sources of inspiration—from eighteenth-century Staffordshire to Tang Dynasty China—visible in Nel’s practice and meticulously curated home, documented here in a photographic series by Pieter Hugo.

This volume is further enriched by the artist’s own words, accompanying images of his plates, bowls, and vases, offering insights into his blend of curiosity, aesthetics, and functionality. Art historian Tamar Garb contributes a thoughtful essay on Nel’s whimsical depictions of cats, which serve as symbolic witnesses and surrogates. Garb observes that for Nel, 'making is an act of defiance and life,' with each figure and plate a vessel for observation and critique. With references spanning geopolitics, pets, and sexuality, Things Made Over Time captures Nel’s contemporary perspective, rooted in the timeless tradition of ceramics. This book is a must-have for admirers of a truly unique artistic legacy.