Sylvia Hyman

Who was Sylvia Hyman?

Sylvia Hyman was an American ceramic artist, art teacher and visual artist. She was known for her lifelike ceramic pieces and sculptures which are included in the collections of museums worldwide. Her trademark pieces, which were fashioned from stoneware or porcelain, often used the artist technique of trompe-l'œil to create the realism of art. Much of Hyman's work featured everyday objects, such as paper, books, or food, realistically crafted from ceramic. She was also the founder of the Tennessee Association of Craft Artists.

Hyman was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1917. She received her bachelor's degree in art education in 1938 from the New York State Teachers College at Buffalo. Hyman later obtained a master's degree in art education from Peabody College for Teachers, now known as Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, in 1963 in Nashville, Tennessee. Professionally, Hyman worked as an public school art teacher, as well as a faculty member of Peabody College.

In 1957, after working as a public school teacher for approximately fifteen years, Hyman received some ceramic equipment, which launched her artistic career as a ceramist.