ASU Museum Collection

Why Clay?

Clay is mystery. Clay is magic. Artists pound on it with their fists and sometimes times their heads. They plead, caress, cajole and coo over it as the shapes and images of their imaginations struggle to take form. It is this alchemy; complete with seduction, fire and fury that beckon with possibilities infinite. Longing to understand and control the clay, one can only hope for meaningful co-existence.

Over the centuries, clay has revealed itself as a transcendent material like no other. Clay speaks of cultures and civilizations in the artifacts we find. It finds a place as a space age material able to withstand re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. Used to construct sacred buildings and heroic statues that have lasted for thousands of years, it gets broken and crumbles under foot as we walk on it everyday. This is what binds me to this endeavor; this mystery, this magic that is the art of clay.

...What about Randy?

Born and raised in the beautiful Hawaiian Island of Oahu, artist Randy Au came to Southern California for the good weather and to pursue a fine art career. Studies include Biola University with Grant Logan; U.C. Irvine with Gifford Myers; and California State Fullerton with Jerry Rothman and John Stokesbury where he earned a B.A. in Fine Art. He established the Flying Cup Clay studio in 1987 and became a fulltime studio artist in 1992. He presently splits his time between the studio; being the ceramics instructor and Assistant Director of the Visual Arts Conservatory at the Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, California since 2002; and other various teaching and workshop opportunities.

He was a contributing member of the Santa Ana, Artists' Village Taskforce in 1993 as well as the "Mayor's Art Strategic Plan" and the Santa Ana Council of Arts and Culture. He recently was a guest curator for the Santa Ana, John Wayne Airport, where he organized "Orange County Contemporary Clay" (2007-2008) an exhibit of 28 ceramic artists.

He is know for his "Vegetable Series" work which combines a love of nature with intricate decoration, a whimsical sense of form, and an enjoyment of function. The pieces are sophisticated and radiate a liveliness of their own in layers of patterns influenced by historical and cultural decoration. Oriental, Egyptian, Southwestern and contemporary American references provide the overlapping inspiration. At the same time the forms are filled with a whimsical sensibility that delights in their natural references of use and enjoyment. The work has gained tremendous appeal in its unique opulent design, unusual organic forms, and playful function.

The series was awarded a Gold Medal in the “Discovery Award 1993” for Craft in California. It has also been a part of the invitational exhibition at the prestigious “DinnerWorks” show, Louisville Kentucky Visual Arts Association; seen at the “New Artist Tea Party” show, Ferrin Gallery in Northampton, Massachusetts; “Pacific Craft Show”, Orange County Museum of Art and featured on the “Modern Master” series of the Carol Duvall Show for HGTV.

Other shows include a traveling show of Southern California ceramics at the Taipei Cultural Center, Taiwan; “Tea and Fantasy”, Alianza Gallery in Boston; a featured artist exhibition, Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro and as an invited exhibiting artist at the Orange County Fair 2005.