William Daley was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a bachelor’s degree in 1950, then went to study at Teachers College, Columbia University, graduating in 1952. He initially taught at state schools in Iowa and New York until he was hired at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia in 1957; he taught there until 1990.

• Born: 1925
• Died: 2022
• Hometown: Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
• Education: Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Daley’s Unique Style

Daley’s work is deeply rooted in an exploration of form, space, and the inherent qualities of clay. His pieces often feature complex geometric structures, meticulously hand-built to create a dialogue between the internal and external spaces of the form. Daley’s process was both intuitive and intellectually rigorous, drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources, including architecture, mathematics, and ancient pottery.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Daley chose to eschew glazing for most of his career, preferring instead the raw, tactile qualities of unglazed stoneware. This decision highlights the sculptural aspects of his work and emphasizes the natural beauty of the clay material. His large-scale vessels and architectural forms are not only remarkable for their aesthetic qualities but also for their ability to invoke a contemplative response in the viewer, inviting exploration of the spaces within and around them.

Daley received a gold medal in 2003 from the American Craft Council and has been given numerous awards and accolades for his career as an educator and ceramic artist. He has received honorary doctorates from both The Maine College of Art and the University of the Arts, as well as awards from the College Art Association, American Craft Council, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and the Northern Clay Center & Watershed.

Over the course of his career, Daley was recognized through many publications like American Craft Magazine & Nelsons Ceramics, as well as exhibitions like Poetics of Clay an International Perspective, Clay Today, International Architectural Ceramic Exhibition, Architecture and Ceramics: Material, Structure, Vision.

Where to See William Daley’s Stoneware and Artwork

His large, unglazed stoneware vessels can be seen at

• The Clayarch Gimhae Museum, Gimhae, South Korea
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
• Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
• National Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
• Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
• The Stedelijk Museum’s Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
• The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England.