Ken Price (1935-2012) was a consistently innovative artist, constantly altering the forms, surfaces, colors, and shapes of his sculptures over his five-decade career. He is known for his small-scale works with unconventional and sometimes bizarre shapes that challenged the traditional functionality of ceramics. His meticulous craftsmanship, vibrant colors, and unconventional techniques have cemented his status among Los Angeles art icons such as Robert Irwin and Ed Ruscha. Born in Los Angeles, Price grew up near the beach, spending much of his youth surfing. Surrounded by creativity, as the son and grandson of inventors, he embraced his artistic identity early on. He earned a B.F.A. from the University of Southern California and briefly studied under Peter Voulkos at the Los Angeles County Art Institute. He then obtained an M.F.A. from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred. Price was recognized in the early 1960s for his "Eggs" series, which demonstrated both stylistic diversity and adherence to his artistic principles.

His work is held in numerous public collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Price was featured in several Getty-sponsored “Pacific Standard Time” exhibitions in 2011-2012. At his death, Price was preparing for a 50-year retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. “Ken Price Sculpture: A Retrospective” ran at LACMA from September 6, 2012, to January 6, 2013, before traveling to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.