Christina Schou Christensen

Ceramic surprises

• Christina uses glaze to create form
• She has an elaborate working process
• Ongoing glaze development is part of her work

About eight years ago the ceramics of Christina Schou Christensen made a splash during the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, the most recognised visual arts show in Denmark. Works of applied arts are only seldom exhibited here, and on top of that, Christina's ceramic objects were non-figurative – clumps of clay resting on stiffened molten glaze. Exploring the possibilities of ceramic glaze is still her main interest and she is continuously discovering new methods to develop glazes. Lately, she has investigated how finished, fired glaze can be melted again and slumped to obtain surprising effects and make the spectator stop, observe and reflect. A refinement of both technique and artistic expression is Christina's goal.

Interview

©All rights reserved

©Bo Johannsen

You say that the process is out of your hands – how?

All the variables within ceramic firing make it difficult for me to fully foresee the outcome. I do control a great deal, but sometimes I'm astonished by how the glaze turns out after the firing, which makes me wiser for the next time.

What motivates your work?

The surprise and joy that I get out of opening a kiln is very much my motivation. I almost feel like I'm tripping when opening a successful kiln. And these bursts of happiness always make my mind overflow with new ideas I need to try out.

Why do you combine stoneware with shiny glaze?

My glazes vary from matt to shiny. I prefer the matt glazes, but the shiny ones are excellent at flowing in big molten streams. The soft, pastel glaze, whether matt or shiny, provides a great contrast against the raw, bare stoneware.

When we look at your work, what do we see?

You see a range of experiments and glaze tests. Many of my pieces are actually tests. Over the years I’ve accepted that my tests are actually my final pieces. Thus you often see inscriptions on my pieces referring to what experiment I’ve done.

Christina Schou Christensen is a master artisan: she began her career in 2008 and she started teaching in 2011

Works

©Christina Schou Christensen

©Dorthe Krogh

©Christina Schou Christensen

©Jeppe Gudmundsen

©Ole Akhøj

Where

Experiences

Glaze making class on Bornholm

10 Hours

675 EUR per person