Calle Forsberg

Ceramicist

©Karin Björkquist

©Sören Vilks

©Karin Björkquist

©Sören Vilks

Throwing for tradition

Calle discovered clay early but first chose a different career
He describes rediscovering pottery as falling in love
He says the field has changed significantly in the last decade

Stockholm-based ceramicist Calle Forsberg considers himself a potter in a long line of pottery makers and feels great pride in perpetuating this legacy. His ambition is not to innovate at all cost, but rather to honour and sustain that tradition, its ancient methods and aesthetics. His aunt is an established ceramicist who introduced him to clay early on in his life, but Calle became a teacher initially. Around the age of 30 he was prompted to change paths. Since the mid 1990s, he runs a studio in Nacka, east of Stockholm, where he creates tableware inspired by the heritage of East Asia. Calle enjoys the simplicity in shapes and glazes of that tradition. In recent years, he has witnessed a growing interest in handmade ceramics, spurred on by a demand from high-end restaurants.

Interview

©Sören Vilks

©Sören Vilks

How did you discover ceramics?: The Swedish ceramicist Hertha Hillfon is my aunt and I used to spend time at her studio as a teenager. I used to practise at her studio during the holidays and ended up spending quite some time there. When it was time to choose a profession, however, I became a teacher.
How did you find your way back to ceramics?: When I reached the age of 30 I felt lost in life, and thought about what I wanted to do. I remembered that I had really enjoyed throwing, so I bought a potter's wheel, and it was like falling in love. At that time I had small children and needed to bring the money in, so I did continue to work as a teacher and spent as much time throwing as I could.
Where do you find inspiration?: I get a lot of inspiration from the East Asian ceramic tradition. The glaze I use is the same as what was used in China a thousand years ago. I am not an innovator, I am a potter from a long line of potters. I want to follow that tradition.
What is it like to be a ceramicist today, compared to when you started?: I have made a living out of ceramics for about three decades. The big change came about ten years ago when high-end restaurants started taking an interest in handmade ceramic tableware. It’s given me a lot to do and it’s also given the material a higher status.

Calle Forsberg is a master artisan: he began his career in 1970 and he started teaching in 1995