Ceramist distinguished by 'spirit of adventure'

By Victoria Gail-White
Special to The Advertiser

•	'Claude Horan: A Retrospective of Ceramic Works' 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays 12:00-4 p.m. Sundays Through May 2 Contemporary Museum 526-1322 or www.tcmhi.org

His two-part retrospective opens at the Contemporary Museum with earlier studio ceramics and blown glass works, and continues with a display of sculptural forms and more recent works at the Koa Gallery (Kapi'olani Community College), March 10-April 16.

Horan was born in Long Beach, Calif., in 1917. His passion for the water and water sports (water polo, surfing and swimming) led to a scholarship at San Jose State University. To avoid homework and maximize his time in the water, Horan chose art as a major.

His natural talent for working with clay and his ability to absorb and apply the knowledge and experience he gained as a lab assistant (firing kilns and mixing glazes) gave him an advantage and a new direction. He graduated in 1942 and went on to Ohio State University, where he obtained a masters degree in art in 1946.

In 1947, he was invited to establish a ceramics program in the Art Department of the University of Hawai'i-Manoa. It was a no-brainer for Horan. He could get paid to teach what he loved and find time to do what he loved — surf and swim. Horan taught until his retirement in 1978, when he was granted the title of professor emeritus for his distinguished service. His contribution to contemporary ceramics is immeasurable — both locally and nationally.

In Hawai'i, he established a strong ceramic and glass program, and instilled a spirit of adventure in his students. In so doing, his legacy includes ceramists who have achieved their own recognition: Toshiko Takaezu, Henry Takemoto Harue McVay, Isami Enomoto and others.

Nationally, his work is represented in the Smithsonian Institute and the American Encyclopedia as well as well as in many publications and collections.

Although some of the smaller works in this exhibit are functional and appealing, the sculptural forms and architectural tiles are captivating.

Some of his standing figures from the 1950s are beautifully reminiscent of Inuit carvings — simple, pure, powerful.

The "Cloaked Figure" (1981), in the collection of the State Foundation of Culture and Arts, is a gem.

As Horan said in his walk-through (and I agree), "There are some pieces in here I'd like to steal."