Rago Auctions

Born in Toledo, Ohio, Richard DeVore earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Toledo in 1955 and went on to complete his Master of Fine Arts at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, one of the leading art schools in the United States. His training at Cranbrook under Maija Grotell, a pioneering figure in ceramics, played a pivotal role in shaping his aesthetic and technical mastery.

DeVore became widely recognized for his subtly textured vessels, which are often regarded as abstract forms that evoke the human body, landscape, and organic shapes. His ceramics are distinguished by their understated color palette, dominated by earth tones like browns, grays, and ochres. These muted hues, combined with DeVore’s innovative surface treatments, give his pieces an almost skin-like quality, lending a tactile intimacy to his work. His vessels often featured thin, irregular walls, with interiors that seem to recede infinitely, inviting viewers to look deeper.

From 1966 to 1978, DeVore was Artist-in-Residence and head of the ceramics department at Cranbrook, where he influenced a generation of ceramicists with his emphasis on craftsmanship and emotional depth. His works are held in numerous prestigious collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. His pieces are often described as quietly powerful, merging function and sculpture in a way that is both subtle and profound. DeVore was influenced by traditional Asian ceramics as well as contemporary American movements, yet his work remains distinctly his own, characterized by its meditative quality and minimalist aesthetic.