Ed Risak

Biography to Display:

1950Born Park Forest, Illinois

2017Died Marquette, Michigan

EDUCATION

—BFA, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan

—MA Education, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1974-2015Studio Potter, Marquette, Michigan

2005-2015Assistant Professor of Art, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan

Ed Risak is known for raku-fired vessels that combined wheel thrown components and hand-built slab components. Surface techniques included raku variations and a sprayed-on metallic matte glaze.

Risak’s work is known for the iridescent colors created with this sprayed-on metallic matte glaze.

Risak collaborated with his wife, Julie Risak, to make the work.

A video of Ed discussing his work in his studio can be found here: vimeo.com/10065544.

Public Collections

Public Collections to Display:

Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC

Bibliography

Bibliography to Display:

Forster, Matt. Backroads and Byways of Michigan, 3^rd ed. Woodstock VT: The CountryMan Press, 2018.

Poulton, Irene. Fired Up with Raku. Marllborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2013.

Schiffer, Unjeria. Teapots by Design: A Collectors’ Catalogue. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2006.

Typical Marks

Teapot

Method: Hand Built
Surface Technique: Glaze, Raku

Courtesy Treadway-Toomey Auctions

Citation: McGee, Donna. "The Marks Project." Last modified October 17, 2019. http://themarksproject.org:443/marks/risak

Status message

Ed Risak