KAREN SHAPIRO, raku ceramics

PALM DESERT, CA ­– CODA Gallery is pleased to present its first virtual exhibition of raku ceramics by Karen Shapiro, one of the gallery’s most sought-after artists.

Karen Shapiro’s larger than life sculpture is irresistible. Her expertly-crafted raku ceramics of iconic brands are instantly recognizable, and fun!  In addition to jumbo-sized candy bars, popcorn, beverages and other foods we love, her subjects include art and office supplies, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, games, and automotive items. Many of her ceramics depict brands from a bygone era. The crackled patina produced by the raku firing process gives her work a friendly, used quality, which is frequently nostalgic.

Karen began working with clay in high school, continuing with the medium as a design major in college. For many years, she had a successful career as a pastry chef, sculpting the ultimate edible art form. “I am now happily out of the kitchen and back into the ceramics studio,” she says. “Now I find myself jumping around from vegetables to nail polish bottles and lipsticks, to crayons and on and on … and in addition to these wonderful objects, I have also discovered the raku kiln. The excitement of reaching into a red-hot environment with tongs, of the flaming bucket, even the choking smoke, and finding results I never dreamt of – always changing, always so much to learn – has given me back an enormous energy, appetite and passion for my work.”

In addition to her popular free-standing pieces, “Monopoly,” “Chanel No. 5,” “Campbell’s Tomato Soup,” and wall sculpture “Chiclets,” CODA’s exhibition features rare and time-consuming pieces that Karen will not be producing again: “Barilla Pasta Box,” “Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Ice Cream,” “Gazelle Typewriter Ribbon,” “Ibarra Chocolate Box,” and “Lux Kitchen Timer.”

< VIEW ALL CURRENT INVENTORY HERE >