Presented as part of CCA's Ceramics Lecture Series
Treadwell Ceramic Arts Center, Oakland campus
Karen Koblitz pays homage to the functional roots of ceramics while elaborating on historical and decorative elements. The confluence of Eastern and Western cultures is evident in her recent artwork: the elaborately crafted and richly decorated art, architecture, and literature of Azerbaijan, intertwined with images and symbols inspired by her native state of California.
Koblitz is based in Los Angeles and head of ceramics at the Roski School of Fine Arts at USC. She received her BFA from CCA in 1973 and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1976. She has received many awards and her work has been widely featured in exhibitions and publications. She served as the American Art Ambassador to Moscow as part of the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies Program in 2002, she carried out a fellowship at Osaka University of the Arts in Japan, and she studied in Florence, Italy, through the California State International Programs.
