Viola Frey

(American, 1933–2004)

Viola Frey was an American sculptor known for her large-scale ceramic depictions of men and women. Though primarily focused on ceramics, her glazing process showed her ability to work with abstract color relationships. “If you make it [art] based on what is stylish, or acceptably good, then you have nowhere to take it,” Frey once said. Born on August 15, 1933 in Lodi, CA, she grew up on her family’s vineyard, taking an interest in art from an early age. The artist went on to study at the California College of Arts and Crafts, where she graduated with a BFA in 1956. Two years later, after studying under Mark Rothko and George Rickey at Tulane University, she completed her MFA. The recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships and an American Craft Council Fellowship, one of her greatest achievements was cofounding The Artists’ Legacy Foundation with the artist Squeak Carnwath. Frey died on July 26, 2004 in Oakland, CA. Today, her works are included in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Viola Frey Artworks

Viola Frey (258 results)
Untitled (Face And Hands), 1986

Viola Frey

Untitled (Face And Hands), 1986

Sale Date: May 2, 2024

Auction Closed

Untitled (Plate), 1994

Viola Frey

Untitled (Plate), 1994

Sale Date: April 17, 2024

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1978

Viola Frey

Untitled, 1978

Sale Date: April 17, 2024

Auction Closed

One Pot and Two Urns

Viola Frey

One Pot and Two Urns

Sale Date: March 27, 2024

Auction Closed

Tea Pot, 1966–1969

Viola Frey

Tea Pot, 1966–1969

Sale Date: March 27, 2024

Auction Closed

Plate With Fruit, 1965–1968

Viola Frey

Plate With Fruit, 1965–1968

Sale Date: March 27, 2024

Auction Closed

'Amazon Pink Nude' Monumental Sculpture, 1988–1989

Viola Frey

'Amazon Pink Nude' Monumental Sculpture, 1988–1989

Sale Date: March 2, 2024

Auction Closed

Candle Stick, 1966–1968

Viola Frey

Candle Stick, 1966–1968

Sale Date: November 20, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1967–1968

Viola Frey

Untitled, 1967–1968

Sale Date: November 20, 2023

Auction Closed

Brown Glaze Plate, 1966–1969

Viola Frey

Brown Glaze Plate, 1966–1969

Sale Date: November 20, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1966–1968

Viola Frey

Untitled, 1966–1968

Sale Date: November 20, 2023

Auction Closed

Round Vietnam Memorial Pot, 1966–1968

Viola Frey

Round Vietnam Memorial Pot, 1966–1968

Sale Date: November 20, 2023

Auction Closed