NEHMA | Collection

Dora De Larios

American
(1933–2018)

Figure
1982

Earthenware and wood
15.25 x 36 x 1.5 in.
Museum Permanent Collection
1984.1462

In Figure Dora De Larios recovers the historical tradition of the blue female nude from Henri Matisse. She creates the reclining nude figure on a larger scale—giving the figure a presence and claiming space for the female body—punctuated by a colorful geometric background. De Larios was exposed to the work of the Los Angeles avant-garde ceramics community as a student. This experience pushed her to explore non-functional sculptural forms. As a Latina, De Larios brought a unique perspective to California’s ceramic revolution that was dominated by white, often male, voices.

Dora De Larios was born in Los Angeles, California to Mexican immigrants in 1933. She attended the University of Southern California where she was trained by Vivika and Otto Heino, and later Susan Peterson. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in 1957. Upon graduation, D eLarios founded an independent ceramics studio, Irving Place, with other women artists in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.

Matthew Limb

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