John de Fazio (b. 1959, Reading PA) lives and works in San Francisco, CA. de Fazio’s works combine delicate ceramic techniques with kitschy Americana and psychedelic pop-cultural references. The works in Beasties are some of his largest slip cast sculptures, composed of pieces from multiple molds that are deftly seamed together and painstakingly glazed – queering and critiquing high-end ceramic production while also speaking to the pitfalls and hubris of human scientific experimentation.
John de Fazio received his BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art and his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Recent exhibitions include pt. 2 Gallery, Oakland CA (2023); Eric Firestone Gallery, New York NY (2022); Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus OH (2022); The Pit, Los Angeles CA (2020); Venus Over Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA (2016).
Alongside his fine art practice, de Fazio has produced iconic work within the commercial realm creating sets and mutant toys for the first season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, art furniture, murals and props while working for MTV in the 1990’s.
de Fazio’s work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of Art, New York NY; The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston TX; Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan WI; Wexner Art Center, Columbus OH; and the Shigeraki Museum, Shigeraki, Japan; amongst others.
