Photo: Artist
Photo: Artist
Photo: Artist
Photo: Artist

Double Vessel with House

USA, 1900
Date acquired:
Materials:
Porcelain
Form - Functional: N/A
Form - Sculptural: N/A
Method:
Thrown
Hand-Built
Surface Technique: N/A
Kiln Type: N/A
Glazes:
Glaze
Joe Molinaro

Richard Notkin is best known for his reinterpretations of traditional Chinese Yixing teapots that comment on the human condition. His porcelain pieces deal with the environmental, political, and economic impacts of contemporary human civilization on the ecological and spiritual condition of our planet.

Notkin has been influenced by his teachers, Ken Ferguson and Robert Arneson. Notkin combines a respect for form with sharp social commentary.

Yixing teapots, dating from 1526, were among the first teapot forms made in China. They were also among the first made by craftsmen known to have signed their work with a chop. Notkin replaced the Chinese lexicon of symbols with his own, demonstrating the possibility of relaying powerful truths through this simple form.

While finishing his MFA, Notkin was a teaching assistant for Robert Arneson at UC Davis. He continued teaching in programs across the United States as a visiting lecturer or artist, although he primarily identifies as a full-time studio artist (see CV).

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Molinaro in other collections

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Last updated: April 22, 2026

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