Elisabeth Kley

Elisabeth Kley (b. 1956, New York, NY) is known for her black and white ceramic sculptures, vessels, drawings, and site-specific paintings inspired by modernist theater sets and costume designs.

Her ceramics, paintings, and works on paper borrow geometric and plant motifs from a wide range of sources, including Wiener Werkstätte, Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe, and ancient Egyptian designs.

Artist: Studio

"I would say that my process is really quite obsessive. Although I strive to make things look as if effortlessly done in one breath, I don’t work quickly. Everything must be completely explored."

Artworks

Elisabeth Kley,

Planter with Stars,

2024,

15 ½ × 13 × 12 ¾ inches (39.37 × 33.02 × 32.39 cm)

Glazed earthenware

Elisabeth Kley,

Vessel Interrupted by Emptiness,

2023,

Glazed earthenware,

26 ½ × 14 × 10 ½ in (67.31 × 35.56 × 26.67 cm)

Elisabeth Kley,

Vessel with Long Neck and Arrow Flowers,

2023,

Glazed earthenware,

22 × 18 × 19 in (55.88 × 45.72 × 48.26 cm)

Elisabeth Kley,

Spots Climbing,

2023,

Acrylic and charcoal on canvas,

84 × 58 ½ in (213.36 × 148.59 cm)

 

Elisabeth Kley,

Installation with Night Garden,

2022,

Ink and graphite on paper,

19 × 24 in (48.26 × 60.96 cm)

Elisabeth Kley,

Idol,

2022,

Glazed earthenware,

43 ½ × 37 ¾ × 10 in (110.49 × 95.89 × 25.4 cm)

 

Elisabeth Kley,

Chacmool with Ladders,

2022,

Glazed earthenware,

47 ½ × 59 × 11 ½ in (120.65 × 149.86 × 29.21 cm)

Elisabeth Kley,

Drawing for Four Part Sculpture with Tulip,

2021,

Ink and graphite on paper,

20 ½ × 16 ¾ in (52.07 × 42.55 cm)

Elisabeth Kley,

Flowers and Arches on Two Legs,

2022,

Glazed earthenware,

42 × 28 × 11 in (106.68 × 71.12 × 27.94 cm)

Elisabeth Kley,

Checkered Fountain with Broccoli Columns,

2020,

Glazed earthenware,

33 × 11 ¾ × 11 ¾ in (83.82 × 29.85 × 29.85 cm)

Elisabeth Kley,

Red Fan Lotuses, Green Background,

2020,

Watercolor and graphite on paper,

17 × 14 in (43.18 × 35.56 cm)

 

Elisabeth Kley,

Egyptian Flower Mailbox Bottle,

2019,

Glazed earthenware,

19 ½ × 12 ½ × 12 in (49.53 × 31.75 × 30.48 cm)

Installation Views

Installation view, Independent Art Fair, New York, NY, 2024

Exhibitions

Elisabeth Kley, A Seat in the Boat of the Sun, Mar 29 – May 20, 2023
Elisabeth Kley, Ozymandias, Jan 9 – Feb 14, 2016

Publications

Elisabeth Kley
Minutes of Sand, 2023

Elisabeth Kley, 2019

Press

"The Currier Museum of Art Announces a New Collaboration with Elisabeth Kley for Its Welcome Gallery", Artdaily, May 16

Stephanie Sporn "10 Must-See Booths at Art Basel Miami Beach." Elephant December 9, 2023

Annabel Keenan "Miami Art Week Report: Day 3." Artillery December 7, 2023

David Colman "Elisabeth Kley." Artforum September 1, 2023

Johanna Fateman "Goings on about Town." The New Yorker May 1, 2023

Barbara MacAdam "Elisabeth Kley: A Seat in the Boat of the Sun." The Brooklyn Rail May 2023

Maiko Kikuchi "Doors leading to galleries around the world gathered at the art fair in Kyoto!." eToki November 26, 2022

Elaine Markoutsas "Pattern Play." WolfGordon March 1, 2022

Elizabeth Kley "Three Women." Hauser & Wirth January 30, 2022

"March Avery and Elisabeth Kley at Parts and Labor, Beacon NY (Review)." ArteFuse December 16, 2021

Paul Laster "Out in Philly - Four Museums and Nine Shows in Eight Hours." Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art August 2021

Holland Cotter and Roberta Smith "Art Gallery Shows to See Right Now." The New York Times August 16, 2021

William Corwin "Elisabeth Kley: Minutes of Sand." The Brooklyn Rail July-August, 2021

Johanna Fateman "Johanna Fateman’s top ten highlights of 2020." Artforum December 1, 2020

Harry Tafoya "Two Artists Invite You to Bask in Their Garden." Hyperallergic November 5, 2019

Roberta Smith "Elisabeth Kley and Tabboo!." The New York Times October 30, 2019

"Ceramicist and Painter Elisabeth Kley’s Cultured Commission Is a Vessel To the Past." Cultured Magazine October 15, 2019

Johanna Fateman "Elisabeth Kley and Tabboo!." The New Yorker October 1, 2019

Kat Herriman "Snowed Under: Armory Week 2018." Ocula March 16, 2018

David Cohen "War of Independence." artcritical March 11, 2018

"Interview with Alix Dana: Fair Director at Independent." BMW March 10, 2018

James H. Miller "Independent art fair goes its own way and reaps rewards." The Art Newspaper March 9, 2018

Will Heinrich "The Don’t-Misses at Independent and NADA." The New York Times March 8, 2018

Paul Laster "What to See at the Armory Show, Volta, NADA, and the Independent." Galerie March 5, 2018

"Elisabeth Kley - Episode 31." Deep Color Podcast January 21, 2018

Rachel Wetzler "Twenty Years of Canada." Independent Features January 1, 2018

Marina Cashdan and Casey Lesser "The 20 Best Booths at Frieze New York." Artsy May 5, 2017

Casey Lesser "These 20 Artists Are Shaping the Future of Ceramics." Artsy February 22, 2017

Zach Fischman "Elisabeth Kley." Little Star Weekly May 13, 2016

"Frieze was Fun, but is Damian Hirst’s Pickled Sheep Killing You?." Artsy May 5, 2016 Alanna Martinez

Josie Luciano "World of tomorrow." Reno News & Review April 28, 2016

Barbara A. MacAdam "Elisabeth Kley at Canada." ArtNews February 5, 2016

William Corwin "Elisabeth Kley Ozymandias." Brooklyn Rail February 5, 2016

James Panero "Gallery Chronicle." The New Criterion February 1, 2016

David Cohen "Cyborg’ at Zürcher Gallery, ‘Devotion’ at Catinca Tabacaru Gallery." Artcritical December 29, 2015

Cate McQuaid "In Provincetown: cinematic sweep, alluring dunes, hidden patterns." Boston Globe September 1, 2015

Steve Desroches "Tomorrowland: Harum Scarum at Albert Merola Gallery." Provincetown Magazine August 15, 2015

Jacob Kiernan "Translucent Threads of Dawn by Elisabeth Kley." On-Verge July 21, 2015

Howard Halle "Check out summer's top group exhibitions in NYC." TimeOut July 20, 2015

Jonathan Stevenson "Elisabeth Kley and Conrad Ventur: Improbable harmony at Regina Rex." Two Coats of Paint July 17, 2015

Michael Anthony Farley and Corinna Kirsch "We Went to Regina Rex and 247365." Art F City July 9, 2015

"Elisabeth Kley." Gorky’s Granddaughter May 1, 2015

Will Corwin "Elisabeth Kley." The Interview Show: Clocktower Radio January 26, 2015

Thomas Micchelli "More Now than Then: When Art Reaches Back." Hyperallergic August 16, 2014

Michael Bilsborough "Hybrid States." SVA Continuing Education Blog August 13, 2014

Eric Sutphin "Review: Anthropocene at Canada." Painting is Dead August 5, 2014

Hrag Vartanian "NADA New York Does It Better Than Ever." Hyperallergic May 10, 2014

Ben Davis "Finding Something at NADA New York." Artnet May 9, 2014

Ian Wallace "This Clay’s On Fire! Behind the Surprising New Renaissance in Ceramic Art." Artspace Magazine April 17, 2014

Elisabeth Kley "The Textile Ceramic: Elisabeth Kley at Volta N." Installation Magazine March 12, 2014

Benjamin Sutton "The Imaginations Runs Wild at Volta NY 2014." Artnet March 7, 2014

Walter Robinson "Art Show Anxiety: An Artist's-Eye View From Inside the Whitney Biennial and Armory Week." Artspace Magazine March 7, 2014

Robin Cembalest "29 Artists With Their Work at New York Art Fairs." Artnews March 7, 2014

G. Roger Denson "Women Artists Sweep Best of 2010 NYC Arts." Huffington Post December 8, 2013

Rachel Cole Dalamagas "Interview: Elisabeth Kley." zingmagazine August 1, 2013

A. MacAdam "Nude Descending Staircase: An Homage." Artnews April 1, 2013

S. Schmerler "Modern and Contemporary Ceramics." Art in America May 1, 2010

"French Kiss." Paris Capitale June 1, 2007

B. Pollock "Elisabeth Kley." ARTnews April 1, 2007

Roberta Smith "Art in Review: Elisabeth Kley - Momenta Art." The New York Times February 16, 2007

Walter Robinson "Weekend Update." Artnet Magazine March 9, 2004

L. Wei "Kismet." ARTnews November 1, 2002

Ken Johnson "Kismet." The New York Times September 6, 2002

Walter Robinson "Weekend Update." Artnet Magazine February 20, 2001

CV

Elisabeth Kley

b. 1956, New York, NY

Lives and works in New York, NY

  • Education

    • BA, Empire State College

  • Solo and Two Person Exhibitions

    • 2024

      Hello Faun, Cooper Cole, Toronto, ON

      Cymodocea, Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH

    • 2023

      A Seat in the Boat of the Sun, CANADA, New York, NY

    • 2022

      Solo installation, Art Collaboration Kyoto, Kyoto International Conference Center Event Hall, Kyoto, Japan

    • 2021

      Minutes of Sand, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA (traveled to Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE)

    • 2019

      Garden, Elisabeth Kley and Tabboo!, Gordon Robichaux, New York, NY

      Elisabeth Kley, Window on Broad, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

      Elisabeth Kley and Sanou Oumar, organized by Matt Connors, South Willard, Los Angeles, CA

    • 2018

      Solo booth with CANADA, Independent Art Fair, New York, NY