Matin Malikzada
centering
Exhibition Dates: April 26 - July 5, 2026
Opening Reception: April 26, 1-4pm
LIVE POTTERY DEMO: Sunday, April 26, 2:30pm
The Ely Center is honored to present Centering, a solo exhibition of work by Afghan master potter Matin Malikzada. A seventh-generation ceramicist from Istalif, Afghanistan, a place long recognized as a historic center of pottery, Malikzada brings a deeply rooted tradition into dialogue with his present life in Connecticut.
Working within a lineage passed down through generations, Malikzada’s practice bridges continuity and adaptation. His vessels, both functional and decorative, are shaped, carved and glazed through processes that reflect centuries of knowledge. This includes a distinctive turquoise hue historically derived from natural materials unique to Istalifi pottery. At the same time his work reflects a contemporary journey marked by displacement and resilience.
In 2021, Malikzada was forced to leave his home, his studio and his teaching position as head of the ceramics department at the Turquoise Mountain Institute. After months of migration he resettled with his family in Northwest Connecticut where he began the complex process of rebuilding both his life and his practice.
The works in this exhibition embody a system of translation, one specifically represented by the hundreds of glaze tests he created in order to rediscover a visual language that could carry his history forward in his new environment. The pottery’s forms maintain a refined symmetry and balance rooted in tradition, but each piece carries what Malikzada describes as both memory and renewal: an unbroken connection to place mixed with the realities of migration and change.
Central to Malikzada’s philosophy is the idea that pottery is not only an art form, but a part of daily life. His vessels are created to be used and shared during times of gathering, from everyday meals to significant celebrations. In this way his work sustains a living tradition, one that continues to evolve through use and community.
The exhibition also features a newly produced film, by Yonah Sedeh, documenting Malikzada’s journey from Istalif to Connecticut and the rebuilding of his practice. The short film offers an intimate view into his process and story; it expands the exhibition beyond simply works on display but highlights the human experience that is embedded in each piece.
An opening reception on Sunday, April 26, 1-4pm will include a live wheel-throwing demonstration at 2:30 pm by Malikzada, providing visitors with a rare opportunity to witness the incredible skill behind his practice. Through this work he offers to the audience not only objects of beauty, but a testament to the endurance of tradition and the possibility of rebuilding through art.
