Björk Haraldsdóttir

Bottle forms

Icelandic ceramic artist Björk Haraldsdóttir lives and works in Bridport, making strong sculptural forms which she drapes with monochromatic patterns. At the core of this work is a conversation between three-dimensional form and two-dimensional pattern. She creates ambiguity in her work by placing a rigid geometric pattern on an organic form, or vice versa, altering our perception of the piece in subtle and fascinating ways.

Born and raised in Iceland, Björk Haraldsdóttir trained and worked as an architect for over twenty years before she began to make ceramics. During this time she worked for a number of renowned architects including Richard Rogers. At first she made ceramics as an antidote for the many creative constraints placed on an architect, seeing it as ‘small architecture with no brief and no client’. 

What she calls her ‘pattern journey’ began in references to old textile work and stitching patterns from Iceland and the Nordic Culture. Over time this has developed into patterns inspired by ideas and images she comes across in nature and daily life. She constantly works into the pieces ‘making stiches’ or lines of weave and the result is often cloth-like in appearance. The ceramics are mostly built in stoneware clay and painted with slip which is then scraped back to reveal the base material in two-tone monochrome patterns.  The scrape marks are visible and the surface is a plane of shallow relief, much like a tapestry. The tactile nature of these pieces is important – they invite touch, in the same way as a draped cloth.

Bjork is a member of the Craft Potters Association and has shown her work widely across England including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, selected by Grayson Perry. We are delighted to show her work for the first time at Sladers Yard.

‘The basic premise of ‘draped’ pattern over architectural form is straightforward but the range of expression it allows is vast. I feel I am still growing into an understanding of those possibilities and, while there is much more to explore, I intend to continue to produce work that is recognisable as part of a continual series. The work changes subtly and incrementally with every firing and every exhibition so I don’t expect work in the future to look like it did in the past. I will continue the process of producing well-conceived and well-executed work that hopefully brings joy.’

BJÖRK HARALDSDÓTTIR

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