Ceramicist Rupert Deese

Rupert Deese and Madeira, one of his many collections for Franciscan.

Rupert Deese was born in Agana, Guam, where his father served as a Marine Corps officer. After graduation from high school in 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, serving stateside as a B-17 mechanic. Deese graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1950 from Pomona College. After graduation, he started working as a ceramist in Claremont, California.

In the mid-fifties, supported by a grant from local art patrons Robert and Catherine Garrison, Deese entered Claremont Graduate School, studying ceramics.

After receiving his Master of Fine Arts in ceramics in 1957, Deese continued making his own ceramics in his studio. However, like many artists, he found it necessary to supplement his income. After graduation, he began teaching ceramics at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California, and remained on the faculty until 1971. 

Deese's pottery gained national recognition in 1960 when his covered bean jar won the IBM sweepstakes prize at the prestigious 21st Ceramic National Exhibition at the Everson Museum in Syracuse, New York.

In 1964, Deese accepted a full-time position as a designer in the Franciscan Ceramics division of Interpace (International Pipe and Ceramics Corporation) in Los Angeles. 

For the next twenty years until his retirement in 1984, Deese created shapes and patterns for Franciscan dinnerware, glassware, and flatware. In the evenings and on weekends, he continued to work on his own ceramics in his Padua Hills Claremont studio.

Deese created numerous custom pieces, including a United States Capitol Members' Dining Room planter. His work can be seen in several prestigious museum collections, including the LACMA in California and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.