Current Exhibitions

Ruby Neri: Taking the Deep Dive

Large ceramic sculpture by Ruby Neri of a woman's face surrounded by blue water and women diving in it. — Ruby Neri, *Taking the Deep Dive*, 2024. Ceramic with glaze, 81 x 74 x 13 in. Courtesy of the artist and David Kordansky Gallery.

Ruby Neri: Taking the Deep Dive is the first solo museum exhibition of the artist’s work. An established voice in contemporary ceramics, Neri sculpts brightly colored personal motifs and uninhibited female nudes — playing with familiar forms and monumental scale to challenge our expectations.

Curated by Ginny Duncan, curatorial assistant

On view January 26–May 5, 2025

Through Their Eyes: Selections from the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection

Artwork by Barbara Kruger titled 'Untitled (Not ugly enough) showing a black and white photo of Eleanor Rosevelt with the words 'not ugly enough' in white in a red box overlaying her image. — Barbara Kruger, *Untitled (Not ugly enough)*, 1997. Silkscreen on vinyl, 107 1/4 x 107 1/4 in. Courtesy of Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. © Barbara Kruger.

This exhibition brings together painting, photography, sculpture and video by some of the most prominent artists working today, as well as rising new voices. Spanning 45 years of art making, Through Their Eyes spotlights the world as experienced by 30 fiercely original and groundbreaking women artists – and is the first presentation of the renowned collection in the United States.

Featured Artists
Giulia Andreani, Vanessa Beecroft, Berlinde De Bruyckere, June Crespo, Ana Elisa Egreja, Jana Euler, Isa Genzken, Nan Goldin, Mona Hatoum, Barbara Kruger, Zoe Leonard, Sherrie Levine, Sarah Lucas, Jumana Manna, Wangari Mathenge, Danielle Mckinney, Tracey Moffatt, Jill Mulleady, Shirin Neshat, Katja Novitskova, Paulina Olowska, Catherine Opie, Christina Quarles, Cindy Sherman, Anj Smith, Rosemarie Trockel, Andra Ursuta, Hellen van Meene, Ambera Wellmann and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.

Curated by Susie Kantor, associate curator and exhibition department head

On view January 26–June 22, 2025

Abstract painting by Salvador Dali. — Salvador Dalí, *Les désirs inassouvis (Unsatisfied Desires)*, 1928, oil, sand, and seashells on board; 30 x 24 1/2 in. (76.2 x 62.23 cm). The Fine Arts Collection, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, University of California, Davis. Fractional gift to the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem. © 2024 Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, Artists Rights Society. Photograph: Ben Blackwell.

Light into Density:
Abstract Encounters 1920s–1960s
From the Collection of Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem

Start with dedicated art lovers and philanthropists Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem. Add 15 works from their collection by world-renowned artists — including Salvador Dalí, Vassily Kandinsky, Joan Miró and Francis Bacon. Top off with 32 UC Davis undergraduate and graduate students studying studio art, art history and design. Result: A unique exhibition entirely curated and designed by students. The profound and exhilarating works in the exhibition, most on public view for the first time in decades, invite visitors to encounter the deeply personal nature of abstraction and to create their own interpretations.

Curated by students in the Fall 2023 Exhibition Practicum course led by Assistant Professor Alexandra Sofroniew and designed by students in the Winter 2024 Exhibition Design course led by Professor Timothy McNeil and Associate Professor Brett Snyder.

On view September 19, 2024–May 5, 2025

Also on view

Fired Up: Early Ceramics at UC Davis

Ceramic sculpture of a heart shaped candy box with pastel colored candies inside. — Sandra Shannonhouse, *Heart Candy Box*, 1982. Porcelain, 2 x 12 x 12 in. Fine Arts Collection, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. Gift of Ross and Paula Turk.

Collections Classroom

In the 1960s and ’70s, UC Davis was at the forefront of a radical evolution in the discipline of ceramics. Davis was fertile ground for experimentation, and the school became a hub for students, faculty and visiting professors who flaunted the established rules. Playful, absurd and surreal, this selection of pieces from the Fine Arts Collection showcases artists who were teaching and making within artistic circles around Davis. Their work embodies the defiant spirit of a generation whose lasting impact on the legacy of ceramics continues to make ripples today.