Eliza Au (Lake Dallas, TX) is a ceramic artist who, through her work, investigates how past and present ornament in architecture engage the idea of sacred space while exploring the search for solitude. Utilizing CAD to create lattice tiles that join together to reference the building units of the brink, tile, and pillar, her work provides comment on the underlying or unconscious nature of order in both nature and human production.
Au received her BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (Halifax, Nova Scotia) in 2005 and her MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2009. Since the completion of her academic training, Au has held positions as an educator at institutions including the Emily Carr University of Art and Design (Vancouver, BC), Alberta College of Art and Design (Calgary), the University of Iowa (Iowa City), and currently holds the position of assistant professor in ceramics at University of North Texas (Dallas). During this time, she has continued the development of her work through focused time in residence at Greenwich House Pottery (New York, NY), the Corning Museum of Glass (Corning, NY), the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts (Helena, MT), and Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center (Skælskør, Denmark). Au has participated in numerous conferences and panels across the US
and Canada, and has presented artist lectures internationally.
In addition to recognition through numerous awards and grants, her work and techniques have been highlighted in myriad publications. She has also been featured in group and solo exhibitions around the world at venues including Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery (Waterloo, ON), Harbourfront Centre (Toronto, ON), the Gardiner Museum (Toronto, ON), Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (Gatlinburg, TN), the Museum of Contemporary Craft (Portland, OR), Mufei Gallery at The Pottery Workshop (Jingdezhen, China), and the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum (Mesa, AZ). Additionally, Au’s work can be found in the collection of the Korea Ceramic Foundation (Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea) Monmouth College (Monmouth, IL), Alfred Ceramic Art Museum (Alfred, NY), and the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum (Taiwan).