I visited the SOFA (Sculpture Objects & Functional Art) show in Chicago today and came away with a new appreciation for artists working with ceramics. One of my favorite gallerists was there, Barry Friedman. He said he’s seeing ceramics as a trend, and I did see an incredible variety of pieces created from variations on the material. He had brought Akio Takamori’s stoneware figures to the show, one of which was “Boy in the Red Shoes, 2010,” shown below. If you’re in New York City this coming Friday, November 12, Friedman is holding an opening at the gallery (515 West 26th Street, NYC 10001) from 6 to 8 p.m., and Takamori will be on hand. The stoneware pieces above are by Ani Kasten, which were brought to the show by Lacoste Gallery in Concord, Massachusetts.