Fuelled by myths and fairytales
- Malene’s work often has very personal meaning
- She is inspired by Danish myths and legends
- She won the Jerwood Makers Open prize in 2015
Malene always enjoyed creative activities including drawing, knitting and crocheting, but she initially pursued her love of arthouse films by becoming a cinema projectionist in her native Denmark. During her 20s she started taking pottery classes with a friend on the weekends, a hobby that grew into something more as she fell in love with the material and started selling functional ceramic pieces at craft markets. When she turned 30 she finally gave up the cinema and went to study ceramics at art school in Bornholm, where she moved from functional work into sculpture. Now, she lives and works in London, where her many achievements include a residency at the V&A museum.
INTERVIEW
In northern Europe fairytales trolls and mythological creatures are very present. It’s something I grew up with and something I have always believed in. For instance, I never believed in Santa Claus but I always believed there were small gnomes living in the attic!
Mainly hand modelling. I’m not very keen on using too many moulds. When you use a mould you are making replicas, not something original, so sometimes I think it looks a bit dead. I want it to look like I didn’t make them, they made themselves, like they are alive.
Making the objects, modelling the clay, that’s the best part. All the rest – firing and glazing, showing the work and going to private views – you just have to do it. What I really enjoy is sitting in the studio with my dog, listening to music and just modelling.
My professor on my BA course always cared so much about finish, and I care a lot about that now. Putting in that extra half a day’s work to make it a tiny bit better, even though normal people would probably not see the difference – only craftsmen would see the difference.
