Holcha Krake

Holcha Krake (6 April 1885–13 January 1944) was a Danish born textile artist, ceramist, watercolorist, and the wife of the Harlem Renaissance artist William H. Johnson. Her style is characterized by a blend of Nordic folk art and modernism.

Krake began her career as art weaver, having trained in weaving at Askov Højskole and the Manufacture des Gobelins.

Early life Holcha Sørensen was born on 6 April 1885, in Karlby Sogn, Denmark to Thora Michaeline Christine Michelsen and Søren Martin Sørensen. Krake's family was not overly acceptant of their interracial marriage, and their prenuptial agreement only listed her assets.

She and her husband settled in Kerteminde where they established themselves as artists and arranged joint exhibitions. Krake's work was greatly influenced by Tunisian ceramics and tiles. Immediately following the trip, she exhibited ceramic work for the first time which drew heavily on ceramic techniques, colors, and patterns she had observed in Tunisia. In 2019 the Florence County Museum in Florence, South Carolina held an exhibition of the couple's work called Willie and Holcha.

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