Sidsel Hanum

Ceramicist

©Sidsel Hanum

©Per Arild Gjerde

©Sidsel Hanum

Exploring the potential of clay

Sidsel studied ceramics in Oslo
She is inspired by the shifting tides on the Norwegian coastline
She likes to tell stories through her works

Sidsel Hanum is based on the island of Borøy, off the southern coast of Norway. The natural environment greatly influences her ceramic works, which are made using the technique of slip-trailing: she squeezes liquid porcelain out of a dispenser fitted with a narrow spout, obtaining superimposed layers of clay, which solidify into delicate shapes that are reminiscent of nature. “The process I work with explores the potential and limitations of clay. The amazing diversity of shells, corals, sea anemones and starfish is imprinted in my work,” she says. “I feel that the rise and fall of the ocean tides unites the world as a whole.”

Interview

©Sidsel Hanum

How did you get into ceramics?: I wanted to be a veterinarian. But after school, I went to a college with a special campus where you could try different crafts for a year. I dedicated myself to ceramics and had a fantastic teacher who inspired me to continue.
Why did you choose clay?: I loved the freedom of what you could do with clay. In the beginning clay decides for you. But after a while I wanted to do more and more, and I started working day and night in order to create what I had in mind.
What inspires you?: My inspiration comes from the world that surrounds me, for example events that I hear about in the news, listening to the radio while I work. It’s important for me to communicate something. You don’t need to know the story behind every piece, but I like to tell it.
Can you give us an example?: I had a big solo show in 2015 and the theme was the refugees coming to Europe. My husband and I had just been to China, where I had found a calabash that I thought I could use to represent this endless caravan of refugees.

Sidsel Hanum is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1982