Fred Yokel
Fred Yokel has been working in clay for over three decades. All of his pieces are one-of-a-kind, made by hand using a derivation of the coil method. His ideas come from many places, but primarily from watching humans in everyday situations. He gets inspiration from sports, yoga, dance and sitting on a bench watching people walk by. He sketches his figures and invents titles that could go with them to explain their predicament. The process is very similar to photography but in a 3-D version. The artist is trying to capture that one instance that will let the viewer see and feel the story and emotion surrounding the subject. His art is a humorous take on the human condition.
Fred Yokel studied at SJSU, where he concentrated his studies in ceramics under James Lovera, Robert Fritz and Herbert Sanders, with some influences from David Middlebrook. After graduating with a BA in Ceramics, he became a production potter for several years at two Bay Area pottery houses. Production pottery was educational, but he got more pleasure out of designing and building one-of-a-kind pieces and exploring raku surfaces and organic looking textures. He decided to go back to school at California Institute of the Arts, where he received his MFA in Design/Advertising.
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Camel
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Camel
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Camel
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Dragon (orange)
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Dragon (red)
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Red Panda
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Orange Tabby Cat
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Tuxedo Cat
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Calico Cat
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Lion
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Lion
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Ivy
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Rooster Sold
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Chick with Peeps Sold
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Penguin
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Zebra Sold
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At Last
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Sentinel
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Foxy
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Duck 2 Sold
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English Bulldog 2
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French Bulldog 2
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French Bulldog 1 Sold
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Hippo 2
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Rhino - long necked
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Rhino - stubby
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Calico Cat 1 Sold
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Calico Cat 2 Sold
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Havanese 2
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Proud Gold Kitty Sold
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Shaggy Pup
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Schnauzer 2.2
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Welch Terrier
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Curious Rabbit
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Shihtzu
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Cow
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Welsh Terrier
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Schnauzer
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Orange Rabbit
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Llama 2
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Piglet
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Penguin
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Scottie
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Bull Terrier
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Then This Happened
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Tri-Angles 2
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Eclipse
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Tail Spin 1
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Monument 2
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Killer Whale
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Old Gray Elephant, 2021
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Camel
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Contemplate Reserved
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I Shoulda Known
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Monkey
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Pug
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Toe Tap
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Holiday Open House
December 2 - 16, 2023Burlingame, CA - As the holiday season unfolds, Studio Shop Gallery is thrilled to announce its much-anticipated Holiday Open House, a celebration of art, community, and seasonal cheer. The event...Read more -
Haute Sculpture
Group Show May 6 - 31, 2021The Haute Sculpture Spring Show features many of The Studio Shop Gallery’s accomplished haute sculpteurs et haute sculptrices, in a variety of mediums and a variety of styles. The exhibition...Read more -
Celebrating Graduates
Fred Yokel April 1 - 30, 2020For this graduation season, which is being held under unusual circumstances, we wanted to honor the grads with a light-hearted exhibition to offer a bit of levity. Many Studio Shop...Read more -
Material Evidence
Contemporary Sculptures July 13 - 29, 2018Material Evidence displays contemporary sculpture in a wide range of mediums showing their diverse expressive qualities and the juxtapositions that occur when one medium poses as another. Featured are ten...Read more
EDUCATION
1982 MFA in Design and Advertising, California Institute of the Arts, CA
1977 BA in Ceramics, San Jose State University, CA
EXHIBITIONS
2021
Haute Sculpture, Studio Shop Gallery, Burlingame, CA
2019
Clay from ACGA, Epperson Gallery, Honorable Mention
2018
Material Evidence, Contemporary Sculpture,
Studio Shop Gallery, Burlingame, CA
2016
Biomorphic, AMOCA, Pomona, CA
Atherton Fall Art Exhibit, Atherton, CA
Go Figure, Black Bean Ceramic Studio, San Jose, CA
MAC 13th Annual Ceramics Invitational, McGroarty Arts Center, Tujunga, CA
Teatime, Pence Gallery, Davis, CA
Capturing Moments of Motion, Moraga Art Gallery, Moraga, CA
Cone Box Show, OH
2015
Ink & Clay 41, Kellog Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA
2nd Annual Teapot Show, Alpha Fired Arts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2014
Big Ideas, Sebastopol Art Center (Best of Show), Sebastopol, CA
California Clay Competition (2 Awards), Davis, CA
2013
12 x 12, Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, CA
Emotion in Motion, SMAART Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Figuratively Speaking, SMAART Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012
Ahhh - Silica, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA
What Is A Rabbit?, John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA
RAC Members Exhibition, Richmond, CA
Focus on the Figure, Pence Gallery, Davis, CA
Anima, The Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
Good Company, Petaluma Arts Center, Petaluma, CA
West Coast Mud Slingers, Brand Library, Glendale, CA
2011
Feats of Clay, Lincoln, CA
Cone Box Show, Tampa, FL
ACGA - Clay & Glass Nat’l Juried Competition, City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
2010
ACGA Exhibition, Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA
“Go Figure” National Show, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA
2009
Solo Show, Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA
California Clay Competition, Davis, CA
ACGA at PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), Palo Alto, CA
25th Annual Open Juried Show, Los Gatos Art Association, Los Gatos, CA
2008
California Clay Competition, Davis, CA
3rd Annual Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA
Quintessential Clay, Kellog Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA
2007
Figuratively Speaking - Group Show, Art Object Gallery, San Jose, CA
Sextuplets - Group Show, Couturier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
CCACA, West Valley College, Davis, CA
2nd Annual Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA
2006
Mixed Media, Cabrillo College, Soquel, CA
1st Annual Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA
2004
Clay Bodies Figurative Show, CCACA, Davis, CA
2003
ACGA at the Oakland Museum Collector’s Gallery, Oakland, CA
Teapot 14 Show, Gallery Alexander, La Jolla, CA
Figurative Work in Clay & Glass, Gallery Alexander, La Jolla, CA
2002
Clay and Wood Exhibition, Burbank, CA
SOFA - New York, Gallery 500, New York, NY
2001
SOFA - Chicago, Gallery 500, Chicago, IL
Spatial Odyssey, Clay & Glass Show, Hayward, CA
2000
Poetry in Clay and Glass, Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA
PUBLICATIONS
2018 Craft Arts International, Neutral Bay, NSW Australia, Issue #78,
Kevin Wallace from the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts
2004 500 Figures in Clay by Lark Books (cover)
The Sculpture Reference by Arthur Williams
2003 California Home and Design
Ceramics Monthly, Feature Article & Photos
2002 Ceramics Monthly
2001 Ceramics Monthly
AWARDS
2019 Honorable Mention, Epperson Gallery Clay from ACGA Crockett, CA
2014 Best of Show Award, Big Ideas, Sebastopol Art Center Sebastopol, CA
2014 People’s Choice & Laguna Award, California Clay Competition Davis, CA
2009 Bill Cunningham Award - Los Gatos Art Museum Open Juried Show, Los Gatos, CA
2008 Leslie Ceramics Award - California Clay Competition Davis, CA