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Mary Lee Hu

Mary Lee Hu (born 1943) is an American artist, goldsmith, and college educator, known for using textile techniques to create intricate woven wire jewelry.

Early life and education

Mary Lee Hu was born 1943, in Lakewood, Ohio. Hu first became fascinated with metalwork during high school introductory courses. She later explored more work with metals during a summer camp.

She went on to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for two years; followed by Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to complete her undergraduate degree (BFA 1965, metalsmithing).

During her undergraduate education Hu developed her skills and continued to work with small scale metalwork and jewelry. She received a graduate degree (MFA 1967, metalsmithing) from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, where she studied under metalsmith L. Brent Kington. It was during this time that Hu started to work with fiber inspired techniques after taking a fiber arts course. This led to the development of her signature style of wire wrapped jewelry.

Career

Since the late 1960s Hu has developed new techniques in coiling, wrapping, weaving, knitting, and twining wire. Her work consists mostly woven wire earrings, rings, bracelets, brooches, and neckpieces that emulate natural forms, movements and symmetry.

After completing her master of fine arts degree, Hu traveled to various places and took up different teaching positions until she joined the metal arts program in the University of Washington in the School of Art in 1980. She retired from the University of Washington as professor emeritus in 2006.

Hu is a member and past president of the Society of North American Goldsmiths. In 1996 Hu was inducted into the American Craft Council College of Fellows. Hu has received three National Endowment of the Arts Craftsman Fellowships. Her work is in major collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Renwick Gallery, the American Crafts Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago. Hu is the winner of the 2008 Irving and Yvonne Twining Humber Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.

Teaching

Awards and grants

Public collections

Exhibitions

1967
1969
1970–72
1974
1974–77
1975
1975–76
1976
1977
1978
  • "Modern American Jewelry Exhibition", Mikimoto & Co., Tokyo
  • "American Crafts at the Vatican Museum", Vatican City
  • Goldsmith Hall, London (with Harper, Scherr, Seppa)
1978–82
  • "Silver in American Life", Yale University Art Gallery
1979
1979–81
1980
1981
1981–85
1982
1983
1984
1984–85
1985
1985–87
1986–88
1987–90
1988
  • Concepts Gallery, Carmel and Palo Alto, CA
  • "Korean-American Contemporary Metalwork Exhibition 1988", Walker Hill Art Center, Seoul, Korea
1989
  • "Mary Lee Hu: Goldsmith", The Merrin Gallery, New York, NY
1989–93
1991
1992
  • "Design Visions, The Second Australian International Crafts Triennial". Art Gallery of Western Australia
  • "Helen Williams Drutt Collection", Helsinki, Finland
1993
1993–96
1994
1997
2000
2001
2002
2003
  • "The Art of Gold" organized by the Society of North American Goldsmiths and tours by Exhibits USA Crocker Art Museum
2004

References

External links