Ernie Kim

Ernie Kim (1918–1997) was an Asian-American ceramics artist. His work is in the collections on the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse New York.

Early life and education Kim was born in Manteca, California. He attended Los Angeles City College (1940-1942) and had planned to become dentist.

World War II When United States entered World War II, Kim joined U.S. Army to serve as a Parachute Lieutenant at the Battle of the Bulge. Kim was the only survivor of his unit. He was captured and imprisoned at the German POW camp in Heppenheim where he received no medical care and very little food. When he was rescued, Kim weighed only 65 pounds and suffered from severe depression. and became a ceramics teacher and taught Ceramics in the Palo Alto Unified School District in 1952. He followed sgraffito and wax resist techniques to decorate his ceramics. The Richmond Art Center created the annual Ernie Kim Award in his honor.