Coralynn Jew is a San Francisco based representational ceramic artist. She seeks to recreate visually stunning foods, primarily desserts and pastries with clay and glazes to highlight the artistic merit of these ephemeral creations, inviting viewers to appreciate their vibrant colors, intricate textures, and celebratory forms.
Cora grew up in Waianae on the west side of the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and studied Art History at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Food and celebration were always integral to her upbringing, so after receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Art History, she decided to pursue a career in the Culinary Arts. Cora moved to San Francisco to attend culinary school and worked in both savory and sweet areas of professional kitchens. She came to focus on desserts and pastries while working at a luxury brand hotel. Training under Pastry Chefs from France, Australia, Singapore and the United States, she found inspiration – not only in the flavors of the sweets she created, but in their colors, textures and shapes.
After 18 years in the Hospitality industry, she decided to pursue a more artistic path. Cora took a class in clay hand-building at a ceramic studio in the Sunset District in 2022 and found a new passion. The similarities of working with raw doughs and clay re-inspired her to create realistic ceramic sculptures that capture the essence and vibrancy of the foods she spent all those years baking and cooking. She continues to draw inspiration for her sculptures from classic pastries and modern interpretations of desserts, endlessly adding to her ongoing dessert buffet.
