09/19/2026
Cream City’s own Nick Schroeder returns to his alma mater for a solo show at UW–Madison. We loved seeing his pieces come together as a collection, and hearing Nick talk about his work was inspiring.
Nick encourages other artists to share their work, and we’re thrilled to see his work featured in this exhibition, MA: An Interval in Space and Time: An Exploration of Japanese Aesthetics.
Enjoy these photos from the closing reception at the Class of 1925 Gallery at Memorial Union, presented by Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee .
Read his Artist Statement:
Nick Schroeder is a ceramic artist. The works in this exhibition were inspired by a book devoted to Japanese aesthetics — Japanese Design, by Patricia J. Graham.
He became intrigued by one of the design concepts that she describes. The Japanese term is “Ma” which translates as “an interval in space and time.” It refers to the presence of empty spaces, abstraction, and asymmetrical balance frequently found in Japanese design.
Since ceramics are an important part of Japanese culture he feels that ceramic, wall-hung tiles are an appropriate medium for his exploration of this concept. At this point he has done more than 50 pieces in this series.
All of the tiles are done with white stoneware and glazes. Some have additions of gold or silver leaf, underglazes, and/or found objects. The circular pieces, while not formally part of the series, are inspired by the same aesthetic.
