The 11th edition of FOG Design + Art features 59 galleries, an expanded FOG FOCUS, and the debut of FOG MRKT. Highlights include Ruth Duckworth’s ceramics at Lebreton, alongside standout presentations from Japonesque, Hostler Burrows, and Gallery Fumi.
By: Sandy Simon
February 4, 2025
Fort Mason Pier 2 and Pier 3 San Francisco
For its 11th edition, FOG Design + Art returns to San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture (January 23–26, 2025), assembling 59 leading galleries, an expanded FOG FOCUS, and the debut of FOG MRKT, a curated showcase of artisanal craft with a particular nod to the Bay Area. Since its founding in 2014, FOG has solidified its reputation as the West Coast’s premier fair for the intersection of art and design, known for its curatorial rigor, intimate scale, and dynamic programming.
This year’s fair reflects a continued dialogue between materiality and form, with ceramics making a strong showing across several galleries. Lebreton Gallery, from the south of France, presents an arresting selection, including works by Ruth Duckworth and other notable ceramicists, while San Francisco’s Japonesque Gallery, under Koichi Hara’s direction, thoughtfully pairs stone and clay, emphasizing their natural synergy.
As the fair expands, it does so with a keen sense of balance—between innovation and tradition, spectacle and substance. This year, ceramics made a quiet but insistent claim to relevance, asserting itself not merely as a craft, but as a conduit for artistic and conceptual inquiry.
Hostler Burrows Installation at FOG Design + Art | Photo Courtesy: Hostler Burrows
Hostler Burrows Installation at FOG Design + Art | Photo Courtesy: Hostler Burrows
Hostler Burrows Installation at FOG Design + Art | Photo Courtesy: Hostler Burrows
Hostler Burrows Installation at FOG Design + Art | Photo Courtesy: Sandy Simon
Hostler Burrows Installation at FOG Design + Art | Photo Courtesy: Sandy Simon
Karen Bennicke | MP IVA | 2024 | Terracotta, slab built| 40.5 x 13.5 x 9.25 in & MP VA | 2024 | Glazed faience, slab built| 35 x 7.5 x 5.75 in | Photo Courtesy: Sandy Simon
Marianne Huotari | The 70s Bouquet | 2024 | Glazed stoneware | 18 x 12.25 x 2.5 in | Photo Courtesy: Hostler Burrows
Stephanie H. Shih | Death comes too, for those who tear the lemon trees down | 2024 | Ceramic, german silver | 20 x 54 x 23 in | Photo Courtesy: Berggruen Gallery
Stephanie H. Shih | Death comes too, for those who tear the lemon trees down | 2024 | Ceramic, german silver | 20 x 54 x 23 in | Photo Courtesy: Sandy Simon
Stephanie H. Shih | Death comes too, for those who tear the lemon trees down | 2024 | Ceramic, german silver | 20 x 54 x 23 in | Photo Courtesy: Sandy Simon
Stephanie H. Shih | Death comes too, for those who tear the lemon trees down | 2024 | Ceramic, german silver | 20 x 54 x 23 in | Photo Courtesy: Sandy Simon
After spending eight years as a studio potter in rural Georgia, I was invited to teach at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1978. My teaching experience expanded to include positions at Purdue University, Indiana University, San Jose State University, California State University, East Bay (formerly Hayward State), and San Francisco State University. I later founded TRAX Ceramics Gallery to showcase some of the best functional potters in the U.S. I currently live and work in Berkeley, CA, making pots and running TRAX. WEBSITE
Interested in future fair coverage? Up next is The Outsider Art Fair in New York City! Want to get involved? Visit our CONNECT pageto learn more about becoming a contributor!
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