Celebrated as China’s “ceramic capital,” Yixing is a city with a rich history of pottery production that goes back over a millennium—its famed zisha (purple clay) teapots were the first designed specifically for brewing tea. And yet, as mass production eclipsed the artistry of hand-thrown pottery, this legacy risked fading into mere nostalgia. Enter Kengo Kuma & Associates, whose newly opened UCCA Clay Museum propels Yixing’s pottery artistry into the 21st century with artful bravado.