Halla Ásgeirsdóttir

Natural rhythms

• Halla specialises in the tricky technique of Raku firing
• Her work is a contemplation of nature’s power and beauty
• She has made work for former US president Bill Clinton

Originally Halla Ásgeirsdóttir trained as a medical technician. She enjoyed working in a clinical lab but found she was more drawn to the patterns, strange colours and symmetries in the test samples. When the time was right she allowed her visual curiosity to take control and began studying ceramics. She studied first at Wesleyan Pottery and then at Radcliffe Ceramic Studio in the USA. Her training was very technical and she spent a lot of time throwing, hand building, experimenting with glazes and learning various firing methods. Through this process, she fell in love with Raku firing. She designed and built her own Raku kiln, which had to be compact and light weight so it could be moved around. Thirty years later, the kiln is still functioning although in recently she has been working in other firing methods that are less physically demanding.

Interview

©Iris Stefansdottir

©Iris Stefansdottir

How has living in Iceland impacted your practice?

All of my works, whether purely sculptural or utilitarian, are contemplations on nature as well as representations of it. Living on a relatively small island where the coastline is the only habitable place forges a special relationship with the ocean.

What do you look for in a piece?

I am first and foremost a craftsperson so I always take notice of the technical aspects of objects like the form, glaze, balance, colour and overall composition – but things also need some kind of undefined magic to catch my eye and be truly well made.

What do you enjoy most about your profession?

I enjoy the studio work, it's a space that I can call my own. I have a fairly strict studio practice: I enjoy working with materials in my hands and letting ideas come to me through the process of making.

What surprises people when they learn about how you work?

The physical aspect of it – especially with the Raku firing, it is strenuous and quite gruelling. It also takes a lot of strength to hand build my bigger objects. The whole process is very long; time is a very salient factor in ceramics.

Halla Ásgeirsdóttir is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1994

Works

©Iris Stefansdottir

©Iris Stefansdottir

©Iris Stefansdottir

©Iris Stefansdottir

©Iris Stefansdottir

Where