Gustav Spoerri was born in 1902 being a child of Swiss potters working in Zell am Harmersbach / Germany. After completing an apprenticeship as a ceramic painter, he furthered his education in Karlsruhe [with Max Lauger], Dresden and Vienna. Later he became artistic adviser and director of Villeroy & Bosch in Dresden. Spoerri returned to Switzerland with his family in 1948 and became artistic director for Tonwaren Fabrik Ziegler AG in Schaffhausen until 1964. In the early 50's Gustav Spoerri built himself a house and studio "Trubeguetli" in Neuhausen am Rheinfall where he started to work on his own artistic endeavours. From 1965 until his death in 1976 Spoerri worked solely in his own studio.