Richard Shaw (born 1941 in Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American ceramicist and professor known for his trompe l'oeil (French for "fool the eye") style. A term often associated with paintings, trompe l'oeil refers to an optical illusion that allows a two-dimensional piece to appear to be three-dimensional. In Shaw's work, it refers to his replication of everyday objects (such as tin cans, playing cards, and cutlery) in porcelain. He then glazes these components and groups them in unexpected and even jarring combinations. Interested in how objects can reflect a person or identity, Shaw poses questions regarding the relationship between appearances and reality.

The child of an artist mother and a Walt Disney cartoonist...