Since his arrival in Berkeley in 1960, Harold Paris has explored a wide variety of materials, pioneering in the use of direct bronze casting processes and also playing a seminal role in the “pot palace” ceramic studio centered on Peter Voulkos. His art has been an intriguing amalgamation of technical tour de force, spiritualism and social concern.

Paris has worked as printmaker, sculptor, performance artist and filmmaker, often mixing forms and ideas to create works of a highly theatrical nature. While Paris has influenced Bay Area art as an educator, his own art has often been contradictory to