Ka Kwong Hui

Ka Kwong Hui
Born1922
Canton (now Guangzhou), China[1]
DiedOctober 17, 2003
New Jersey, U.S.
Other namesHui Ka-Kwong
Occupation(s)potter, ceramist, educator
SpouseEva Bouzard[1][2]

Ka Kwong Hui, also known as Hui Ka-Kwong (1922–2003) is a Chinese-born American potter, ceramist and educator.[1] He is known for his fine art pottery work, a fusion of Chinese and American styles, and his work within the pop art movement.[1][3]

Early life, immigration and education

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Ka Kwong Hui was born in 1922 in Canton (now Guangzhou), China.[1] He attended Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts (SAFA), and the Kwong Tung School of Art.[1] He apprenticed in sculpture under Cheng Ho.[1]

In 1948, Hui immigrated to the United States to study art at Pond Farm Workshop under Marguerite Wildenhain and Frans Wildenhain.[1][3][4] After a period of study with Wildenhains, Hui moved to attend ceramic classes at Alfred University. He graduated from Alfred University (BFA 1951, MFA 1952).[1]

Career

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After graduate school, he moved to the New York City-area to teach at Brooklyn Museum Art School (BMAS).[1] Hui later became the head of the ceramics department at BMAS.[1] He also taught art courses at Douglass College, Rutgers University, and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.[1][5] He had notable students, including Jim Agard,[6] and Stephen De Staebler.[7]

From 1964 to 1965, Hui collaborated with pop artist Roy Lichtenstein on a series of ceramics.[1][3] Hui and Lichtenstein had worked at Rutgers University together.[4] Hui created six bisque female mannequin heads with Ben Day dots for Lichtenstein.[8][9] The ceramics work with Lichtenstein influenced Hui's own artwork, and resulted in his own explorations within the pop art movement.[1] Unlike Lichtenstein's work within the pop art movement, Hui did not make commercial products, but rather focused on using bright colors and symmetry.[4]

In the 1990s, Hui created a series of bird-shaped sculptures in a green glaze, in reference to the Shang dynasty.[1]

Death and legacy

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When Hui retired, he moved to Caldwell, New Jersey. He died on October 17, 2003.[1]

Hui's work can be found in public museum collections including Brooklyn Museum,[10] Everson Museum of Art,[11] The Newark Museum of Art,[12] Alfred Ceramic Art Museum,[13] and Museum of Arts and Design.

In 1997, he was honored as a Fellow by the American Craft Council (ACC).[1] Hui's work was part of the notable Objects: USA 2020 traveling art exhibition, which highlighted the American studio craft movement and paid tribute to the groundbreaking Objects: USA (1969).[3][14][15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Hallmark, Kara Kelley (2007). Encyclopedia of Asian American Artists. Artists of the American Mosaic. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 77–79. ISBN 9780313334511.
  2. ^ Freudenheim, Betty. "Crafts: Museum Show of State Talent". query.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  3. ^ a b c d Adamson, Glenn (2020-10-27). Objects: USA 2020 (art exhibit). The Monacelli Press, LLC. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-58093-573-9.
  4. ^ a b c Koplos, Janet; Metcalf, Bruce (2010-07-31). Makers: A History of American Studio Craft. University of North Carolina Press. p. 308. ISBN 978-0-8078-9583-2.
  5. ^ Greenwold, Diana; Arauz, M. Rachael (2019-05-24). In the Vanguard: Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, 1950-1969. University of California Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-520-29969-6.
  6. ^ "Jim Agard: A Retrospective". The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College. Winter 2012.
  7. ^ "De Staebler". The Marks Project. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  8. ^ Rasnic, Juliana. "The Comic Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein". VCU. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  9. ^ Glenn, Constance (1977). Roy Lichtenstein: Ceramic Sculpture (art exhibition). Long Beach, CA: California State University Art Galleries. ISBN 9780936270050.
  10. ^ "Vase, Hui Ka Kwong". Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  11. ^ "Individual: Ka Kwong Hui [1734]". Everson Museum of Art Online Catalog. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  12. ^ "Hui Ka Kwong". The Newark Museum of Art.
  13. ^ "From The Permanent Collection, January 23 - April 17, 2009". Alfred Ceramic Art Museum at Alfred University. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  14. ^ Nalewicki, Jennifer (February 18, 2021). "The Groundbreaking 1969 Craft Exhibit 'Objects: USA' Gets a Reboot". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  15. ^ "Objects: USA 2020". Design Miami/ Shop. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
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