About the Artist
Joseph Slusky
Sculptor · Painter · Educator
Joseph Slusky was born in 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966, and his Master of Arts from UC Berkeley in 1969.
For over thirty years, Slusky served as Senior Lecturer in the Department of Architecture at UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design — one of the most distinguished design schools in the world. His presence shaped generations of architects and designers who encountered his work and teaching.
Working from his studio in West Berkeley, Slusky has developed a singular practice rooted in the physical transformation of steel. His sculptures — built through a process he describes as "form as excavation" — emerge from the material itself, shaped by cutting, welding, filling, and painting into objects that feel simultaneously ancient and contemporary.
His work has been exhibited internationally, from the Oakland Museum of California and the Crocker Art Museum to the Museo del Pueblo de Guanajuato in Mexico. Works are held in public collections across California and in private collections worldwide.
Education
Bachelor of Architecture — University of California, Berkeley, 1966
Master of Arts — University of California, Berkeley, 1969
Academic Position
Senior Lecturer, Department of Architecture, UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design, 1980–present
Born
1942, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Berkeley, CA 94710
Public Collections
Crocker Art Museum
Sacramento, California
City of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
City of Berkeley
Berkeley, California
City of Hayward
Hayward, California
City of Orinda
Orinda, California
UC Berkeley CED Library, Bauer Wurster Hall
Berkeley, California
Curatorial & Collector Inquiries
Gallery directors, curators, and collectors are invited to contact the studio directly.