Shaping ideas with bare hands
- Ida creates ceramic sculptures and objects loaded with symbolism
- She is fascinated by the idea of shaping clay with her hands
- Her pieces are influenced by the location they are exhibited in
Ida Netterberg's fascination with the creative process itself led her to become a ceramicist. Hooked by the possibility of shaping materials to her liking, she started her journey with a course in silversmithing. Then, Ida discovered clay and its endless potential, and decided she would study ceramics instead. “What I love about clay is that I can shape it with my bare hands, no tools required. There is no distance between me and the material, which creates a directness that I really enjoy,” she says. The other aspect of ceramics that Ida appreciates is its versatility. “You can easily spend a lifetime investigating ceramic techniques and still master just a small part of its world,” she says. And indeed, Ida's creations reflect this versatility, from her everyday objects to her one-of-a-kind sculptural pieces.
INTERVIEW
My main research is on ornaments. Loaded with history, status, symbolism and spiritual references, ornaments offer me a timeless and wordless language to express myself on many themes, from politics to romance.
I use porcelain for most of my sculptures because the fired result is so special and expressive. I usually handcraft my pieces and use plaster forms for details. I also like to colour the clay body with a layer of glaze or engobe to prevent the details from disappearing.
A couple of years ago, I rarely used colours in my work. However, in my master’s project at the art academy, I decided to challenge myself and bring the whole rainbow into my palette. Since then, colour has been an important part of my practice, both as a symbolic language and as a method of expression.
I would not describe my style as Swedish because I work in opposition to minimalism, a typical Swedish concept. My creations are usually site specific, influenced by the architecture, surroundings and history of the place where they are exhibited.
