Ceramics degree

Sam Chung is a Korean-American ceramic artist living in Phoenix, Arizona. He creates pottery that reframes historical ceramics from a cross-cultural perspective. 

 

Sam received his MFA from Arizona State University and a BA degree from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He also worked as a special post-bac student at the University of Minnesota. He taught at Northern Michigan University from 1998-2007, and has been a Professor of Ceramics at Arizona State University since 2007.  He was awarded a U.S. Fulbright Scholar grant in South Korea for the 2021-22 academic year.

He has exhibited his work nationally and internationally including: Harvey Preston (formerly Harvey Meadows), Duane Reed, Tansey Contemporary, Gallery IMA, Soluna Living (Korea), Ann Linnemann Gallery (Denmark), Greenwich House Pottery. Sam’s work is included in the collections of The Everson Museum (NY), Crocker Art Museum (CA), Icheon World Ceramic Center (Korea), Guldagergaard (Denmark) and San Angelo Museum (TX). He has also presented numerous lectures and workshops both natio

Sam Chung

EDUCATION

1992 BA Studio Art, Ceramics Concentration, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota

1997MFA Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

RESIDENCIES 

1998 Artist in Residence, Anderson Ranch Arts Center; Snowmass Village, Colorado

2004 Artist in Residence, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, Maine

2005Artist in Residence, Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center, Skaelskor, Denmark

2008Artist in Residence, The Pottery Workshop, Jingdezhen, China

2009 Artist in Residence, The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, Montana

2013Artist in Residence, International Ceramics Studio, Kecskemet, Hungary

2014Artist in Residence, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, Colorado

2014Artist in Residence, The Pottery Workshop, Jingdezhen, China

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1998-2007 Associate Professor of Art and Design - Ceramics, Northern Michigan University, Department of Art & Design, Marquette, Michigan

2007—Associate Professor of Ceramics, Herberger Institute or Design and the Arts, Arizona State University, T

The Artist Behind These Museum-Worthy Ceramics

Sam Chung is an artist who loves to explore the balance among form, function and design. Whether he’s working on hand-carved stone pots or wheel-thrown porcelain creations inspired by a book of Korean cloud motifs, Chung looks to influences beyond the art world and history. Read on to see how Prince and R2D2 figure into the Arizona maker’s worldview.

Tell us about your most treasured creation.

Probably a small pouring pot I made when I was 23. I was completely immersed in making pottery, and my professor at the time told me to hold on to the pot … because I would appreciate it later in life. I still have it, and I do appreciate it, but mainly because it reminds me of a time in my life when I felt invincible.

How did you know this is what you wanted to do for a living?

I realized in my final year of college that I was completely obsessed with ceramics and making pots. I spent almost all of my time in the studio. I decided then that I wanted to fit my life into ceramics versus fitting ceramics into my life.

What’s the story

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