Eva Zeisel
Noted as one of the most talented designers of the 20th century, Eva Zeisel was also arguably one of the most fascinating people, enduring imprisonment in the Soviet Union and surviving Nazi-occupied Austria. While she witnessed and experienced much suffering in her early years, Zeisel made a productive and passionate life for herself. Through her perseverance and love of art and ceramics, she was able to become a prolific designer and a true pioneer. After escaping from Hitler's Austria and moving to the U.S., Zeisel went on to design for leading manufacturers including General Mills, Hall, Rosenthal, Chantal, Nambé, Mancioli, and Royal Stafford.
A trailblazer, Zeisel developed and taught the first course in ceramics for industry at the Pratt Institute of New York. She also made history by headlining the first one-woman show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. These are just a few of her many achievements. At the age of 104 she embarked upon what would be one of her last projects: a collaboration with Leucos, a Leucos USA brand known for its Italian contemporary hand-blown glass lighting.
Zeisel's collection with Leucos includes Murano glass pendants, wall sconces, and table lamps in two distinctive silhouettes. The pieces show off her signature style and are inspired by organic forms with soft curves like those of the human body. Zeisel's extraordinary works are displayed in permanent collections in museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and The Brooklyn Museum in New York, The British Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Musée des Beaux-Arts, and the Brohan Museum.
