Eva Zeisel

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Eva Zeisel (born November 13, 1906) is an Hungarian industrial designer known for her work with ceramics, primarily from the period after she immigrated to the United States. Work from throughout her prodigious career is included in important museum collections across the world. She continues to design today and has several designs in current production.

Eva Polanyi Stricker was born in Hungary in 1906 to a wealthy and educated assimilated Jewish family. After initial training in art and painting she became an apprentice in the guild of potters. After learning the basics of ceramic manufacture Eva Stricker applied for work with German ceramic manufacturers. In 1928 she became the designer for the Schramberger Majolikafabrik in the Black Forest region of Germany and worked there for about two years creating many designs for tea sets, vases, inkwells and many other ceramic items. Her designs at Schramberg were largely based on geometry and were clearly influenced by the Bauhaus design school in Weimar and later Dessau.

In 1932 Eva Stricker decided she wanted to visit Russia. She became one of the foreign experts that were welcomed at the time and eventually became the Director of China and Glass for the USSR. However, this was short lived as she was imprisoned on unfounded charges of attempting to assassinate Stalin. After more than a year in solitary confinement she was released and escaped to Austria.

Soon enough Eva Stricker had to flee again, this time from Hitler. In 1938 she left Germany with her soon-to-be husband, Hans Zeisel. They were married in England. However, England was not to be their home and later that year the couple arrived in New York. Zeisel has lived and worked in New York ever since that time.

Her best known work includes the eccentric, biomorphic "Town and Country" line of dishes, produced by Red Wing Pottery, the "Museum" line from Castleton, which was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the Tri-Tone line by Hall. In 1998, a limited run of reproduction Town and Country pieces was sold through MoMA.

On December 10, 2006, The Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, opened a major centennary retrospective exhibit "Eva Zeisel: Extraordinary Designer at 100," showing her designs from Schramberg (1928) through to current designs for Nambe, Chantal, Eva Zeisel Originals and others (2006). The exhibit will run until 6/10/2007.