Lucie Rie at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich

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Lucie Rie was born in 1902 in Vienna, where she studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule under Michael Powolny from 1922 to 1926. From there, she made her way to London in 1938, settling into Albion Mews by 1939. After World War II, Rie opened a pottery and button-making workshop, where Hans Coper joined forces with her in 1946. Rie took on teaching duties at Camberwell School of Art from 1960 to 1971, and in 1969 she received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art. In recognition of her contributions, Rie was awarded the OBE in 1968, followed by the CBE in 1981. She was elevated to Dame status in 1991. Despite suffering a series of strokes, Rie continued working well into her eighties before being forced to stop in 1990. Lucie Rie passed away on April 1, 1995, at her home in Albion Mews, London.