Louise Heisel

Ceramicist

©Mia Maria Pedersen

©Louise Heisel

©Ole Akhøj

Scandinavian flair

Louise crafts small art pieces for everyday use
Her collection is characterised by a tactility and materiality
She is inspired by nature’s patterns

Louise Heisel graduated from the Royal Danish Academy in Bornholm, one of Europe's leading educational institutions within the field of glass and ceramics. “At the age of 18, when I was about to finish high school” she recalls, “I remember looking into this really heavy book with 500 pages about education and professional paths. I have always wanted to do something creative, and when I read the page about becoming a ceramic designer and artist, I felt immediately at home.” With porcelain as her primary material, Louise makes functional and decorative objects for the home such as cups, bowls and tableware, as well as jewellery and small bell animals. All products are designed and crafted in her workshop.

Interview

©Louise Heisel

©Louise Heisel

When did you open your own workshop?: In 2007, I rented my first studio space, which had a shop connected to it. In 2018 I opened my first studio and shop "Made Here" at Christianshavn in Copenhagen, which I shared with my good friend and fellow ceramicist Lars Rank. In 2022, I decided to move out of Copenhagen and open my very own studio and shop.
What are your sources of inspiration?: I am deeply inspired by nature, particularly its colours and repetitive patterns. I like to work with the third dimension of tactility and activate the sense of touch. The result is a collection characterised by a materiality that gives things a unique and bold statement.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: All the methods I use are based on traditional pottery techniques: my shapes are classic, but the tactile surface makes it new. Making my vases is a very long process, which I specialised in creating detailed modelled objects into slip casting moulds.
Can you tell us a memorable moment in your professional life?: I had just developed my dotted vases and went to my first art fair in Copenhagen, where I was spotted by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk (Denmark), they wanted to stock my vases in their museum store. That was a big moment for me and for my career.

Louise Heisel is a master artisan: she began her career in 2004 and she started teaching in 2009