Chinese Artist Walter Yu Wins International Ceramics Award in Brussels

Walter Yu

Berlin-trained ceramist, joins list of ten laureates at Belgian fair and will receive solo exhibition in 2027

Chinese ceramist Walter Yu, was announced as one of the ten laureates of the ART PRIZE 2026, an award presented during the Ceramic Brussels fair in Belgium. Born in China in 1989, Yu studied German literature at Beijing Foreign Studies University before completing his master’s degree at Universität der Künste Berlin in Germany.

Education Across Two Continents

Yu’s academic trajectory reflects the bridge between East and West that characterizes his work. Beijing Foreign Studies University, founded in 1941, is one of China’s most prestigious institutions for teaching foreign languages and cultures, focusing on training diplomats, translators, and international relations specialists. There, Yu developed his interest in German culture through literary studies.

At Universität der Künste Berlin, where he completed his Meisterschüler (equivalent to a master’s degree), he studied at one of Europe’s oldest and most renowned art schools. Founded in 1696, the institution is internationally recognized for its excellence in teaching fine arts, design, music, and performing arts. Notable alumni include architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, pioneer of modern architecture, writer Günter Grass, winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature, filmmaker Wim Wenders, and visual artist Katharina Grosse.

Dialogue Between Traditions

The artist’s work investigates the intersection between classical East Asian aesthetics and contemporary visual narrative. With training in painting, Yu expanded his practice to ceramics and sculpture, creating forms that dialogue with both the tradition of scroll paintings and architectural space.

His glazing techniques, constantly evolving, seek to establish a dialogue between clay and surface, between the tactile and the pictorial. The result is a pictorial sensitivity that challenges the boundaries between different artistic languages.

Yu has exhibited works in China and several European countries, having won various awards throughout his career. As a laureate, the artist participated in a curated group exhibition during Ceramic Brussels, with scenography developed in partnership with MAD Brussels and Action et Service.

The awards were presented to the artists during the opening of the exhibition. Among the prizes are a solo exhibition during the 2027 edition of the fair, as well as other exhibitions and artist residencies, the complete list of which will be announced later.