Johannes Nagel studied at University of Art and Design Burg Giebichenstein, where he was also an assistant professor. He began his career as a potter as an apprentice to Japanese-born Canadian ceramist, Kinya Ishikawa in Val-David, Quebec. He has since developed an international dossier of shows, awards, and residencies. Nagel's work is shown and collected internationally, and may be glimpsed in a diverse set of museum collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, The Ariana, and the Keramion. Most recently, Nagel has been awarded the Keramikmuseum's 2019 Westerwald Prize, one of the highest awards for ceramics in Europe.