Ceramics of Karen Koblitz
Location: Moscow
Dates: July 01-31, 2004
On July 1, the work of the American ceramic artist Karen Koblitz from Los Angeles opened at the Moscow Decorative and Applied Arts Museum. "In my work I pay homage to the functional roots of ceramics while elaborating on historical and decorative elements, " she writes. "The influences seen in my work come from life experience as well as travels and readings. As a college student I spent my junior year abroad in Florence, Italy, where I studied the Renaissance works of the Della Robbia family. Thus, my passion for Italian ceramics began its evolution and continues to be a predominant theme throughout my work. My interest was further strengthened when, in 1989, I developed an ongoing relationship with a leading factory in Deruta, one of the major centers for maiolica ceramics found in Italy." Her work is in numerous collections in the United States, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.