Ka Kwong Hui

Ka Kwong Hui
Born	1922 Canton (now Guangzhou), China[1]
Died	October 17, 2003 New Jersey, U.S.
Other names	Hui Ka-Kwong
Occupation(s)	potter, ceramist, educator
Spouse	Eva 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

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

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

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