Elisabeth von Krogh

Ceramicist

©Bjorn Harstad

Creating shapes out of clay

Vases are central to Elisabeth's practice
She wants the form to be interesting, whatever angle it is viewed from
She loves being in her workshop, mastering her skills

“For me, working with clay is about creating shapes,” says Elisabeth von Krogh. “I often use vessels as a starting point. Partly because I worked with functional ceramics in my early career, but also because the vessel as an archetypal and sculptural form, as a container and a symbol, fascinates and inspires me. The transition from vessel to sculpture is a gradual process – when is an object a vessel, when is it a sculpture?” Elisabeth’s creations can be found in all applied arts collections of national museums in Norway, as well as in numerous private collections. She has exhibited extensively throughout Norway and in other European countries, and was awarded several public commissions, including by Oslo Airport.

Interview

©Bjorn Harstad

Why did you choose to become a ceramicist?: In the beginning, I wanted to be an industrial designer. But after visiting the ceramics department at my school, I realised that I could create my own designs and explore new ideas in a much more enjoyable way using my own hands, rather than drawing my ideas and letting factory machines produce them.
How are your sculptures made?: Many of my works are handcrafted using clay coils, or hand built in combination with wheel-thrown elements. I also use plaster moulds as part of the form creating process. Rolled out sheets of clay are pressed into plaster moulds, formed, and then manipulated further.
What inspires your work?: Modernist painters from the early 1900s, like Le Corbusier and Léger. I am also inspired by the playfulness and visual power of Post-Modernists, such as the Memphis group. These references are essential for my work. They inspire me to play with my own ideas of shapes and colours.
What don't people normally know about you?: I spend a lot of time thinking and planning new works before I touch the clay. It takes a long time to make unique pieces for an exhibition. The choice of colour is essential for the work as a whole.

Elisabeth von Krogh is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1972