Sharif Bey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Slippery Rock University (BFA)
- University of North Carolina (MFA)
- Pennsylvania State University (PhD)
Sharif Bey | |
|---|---|
 With bead-inspired sculpture "Louie Bones: Omega" | |
| Born | 1974 (age 51–52) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education |
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| Known for | Ceramics |
| Website | sharifbeyceramics |
Sharif Bey (born 1974, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.) is an African American artist, ceramicist, and professor. He produces functional pottery as well as ceramic and mixed-media sculptures using various forms and textures. His body of work reflects his interest in the visual heritage of Africa and Oceania and contemporary African American culture. With his colorful large-scale bead sculptures, Bey explores the cultural and political significance of ornamentation and adornment.[1][2]
As a high school student, Bey completed a ceramics apprenticeship at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild. The Manchester Craftsmen's Guild played a formative role for Bey throughout his teens, giving him a foundation of skills, extensive ceramics-world connections, and exposure to various visiting masters – including Jun Kaneko, Karen Karnes, Judy Moonelis, Paul Soldner, and Akio Takamori. Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, Bey studied sculpture at The Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava (Slovak Republic). Later, he earned his BFA in ceramics from Slippery Rock University, his MFA in studio art from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and PhD in art education from Pennsylvania State University.[3][4][5][2]
