The aim of the International Academy of Ceramics is to promote friendship and communication between ceramics professionals in all countries. The IAC develops and encourages all forms of international cooperation to promote ceramics and to encourage and maintain production of the highest quality in all ceramic cultures.

Since its founding in 1952 by Henry J. Reynaud, IAC President until his death in 1964, the organisation of the IAC has changed and evolved. Originally it had a strong diplomatic background, bringing together representatives of national museums and cultural organisations. Ceramists were invited as consultants.

Today, the Academy is the only association dedicated to the medium of clay that operates at an international level. The IAC brings together ceramists, potters, artists, designers, writers, collectors, gallerists, conservators, restorers, curators and a number of prestigious institutions.

Thanks to their respective areas of expertise, IAC members are regularly invited to participate in congresses and residencies, to submit articles for publication, and to serve as jurors for international exhibitions and competitions.

The IAC has been affiliated with UNESCO since 1958, first on a consultative basis and then, since 2001, as an official partner in the cultural sector. The IAC takes this partnership seriously and wishes to contribute to meeting the challenges of this important organisation, which recognises the scientific, educational and cultural concerns of its member countries.

More than 60 years after its creation, the IAC remains more committed than ever to being at the centre of an international community representing ceramics at the highest level. With the universality of ceramic culture as a core value, the IAC continues to promote dialogue between cultures to ensure the continued appreciation of all types of ceramics.

IAC Diversity Statement

As an international organisation, IAC supports effective, open communication and interaction between ceramic professionals all over the world regardless of their origin, status, age, gender identity, sexual preference, religion, ethnicity, or disabilities. We firmly stand with the “UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity“, and support the equality, diversity, and inclusion of all our members. We embrace and honour freedom of expression, mutual respect and cultural exchange.

Every two years, the IAC organises an international congress, which includes a conference on a specific theme, national and international exhibitions, and ongoing support for private initiatives by galleries and other cultural institutions. Thanks to the quality and representativeness of its members, the IAC Congress stimulates cultural activities in the host country and fosters new relationships between institutions, thus contributing in a tangible way to the development of the necessary synergies for the promotion of ceramic art.

Since 2009, between the biennial congresses, the IAC has organised a series of conferences called “IAC Day”, hosted by the Ariana Museum in Geneva, Switzerland. With the aim of demonstrating the close relationship between the Ariana Museum and the Academy, the IAC Day offers a series of lectures, discussions and debates on ceramics, bringing together international experts and an enthusiastic audience.

> Read more about the IAC’s activities HERE.

Carlo Zauli