Lucie Rie
b. 1902, Austria
d. 1995
Lucie Rie (1902–1995) was a ceramicist with immense technical knowledge and an inventive, experimental approach. Rie created thousands of beautiful and original pieces which transformed how ceramics were made and viewed in the UK and beyond.
Rie is among the most celebrated potters of the twentieth century and she carved out her career as an independent female potter in a male-dominated industry. This new exhibition brings together more than 100 of her works from public and private collections, offering a rare opportunity to experience her ground-breaking practice across six decades.
Rie made individual pots for commission as well as domestic ware. She innovated techniques with different clays and glazes, sometimes combining ingredients to create glazes that bubbled or melted when fired, sometimes using a sharp needle to create fine lines in the pot’s surfaces and sometimes throwing with multiple balls of contrasting clay, creating flowing spirals of colour that reflected the spinning motion of the wheel.
Rie was born in Vienna to a wealthy and educated Jewish family and was brought up surrounded by new ideas and creativity. In 1938, she was forced to flee Austria to escape the Nazi persecution of Jewish people. Having moved to London on the brink of war, in order to make a living, Rie turned to making ceramic buttons for the fashion industry.
She slowly established herself in Britain through the 1950s and 1960s, becoming renowned for her distinctive tableware and one-off pieces. Rie lived to the age of 93 and later in life her continued exploration and innovation resulted in some of her most striking and expressive work.