Katherine Choy (1927–1958) was an American artist, known for her work with ceramics and pottery.[1]
Biography
She was born into an affluent family in Hong Kong in 1927, and raised in Shanghai.[2] In 1946, Choy went to study in the United States, first at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia.[3] In 1948, she transferred to Mills College to be near family in California, earning her bachelor's degree in 1950 and a master's degree in 1951.[3][4] In 1952, she became the head of the ceramics department at the Newcomb College at Tulane University in New Orleans. In 1957, she started the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, NY.[2][5][6] Choy died of pneumonia at the age of 29.[7]
Her ceramics were traditionally thrown on the wheel but she experimented with bold patterns and a unique palette.[8] Her early pots were inspired by Asian clay traditions; but she eventually moved towards more innovative and modern techniques, setting her apart from her peers.[9] Choy's work is in the collection of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum,[7] and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[10]
In 2022, Choy had her first exhibit at the NOMA, titled "Katherine Choy: Radical Potter in 1950s New Orleans."[11] This exhibit was her first since her friends held The Katherine Choy Memorial Show at the Orleans Gallery in 1959, the year after her death.[9]