Nana König

Ceramicist

Trusting in chance

Nana is an art director turned ceramicist
Giving space to chance is becoming increasingly important in her work
She uses calligraphy on her ceramic objects, a passion of hers since her early design studies

Nana König lives in Hamburg and has her ceramics studio on a former farm on the outskirts of the city. She finds peace and inspiration here. Nana came to ceramics while working as art director for a German publishing house. What began as a hobby to switch off from work quickly evolved into a passion and she knew exactly what she wanted to create. In order to gain the knowledge to implement her ideas, she began studying ceramic design part-time at a technical school. "I absorbed lots of specialist knowledge of the ceramics craft in the technical school at the beginning of my studying – including cramming the periodic table once again." Nana has experimented with many different techniques. However, her style remains recognisable. She is currently focusing on free-form work. Her process involves letting go of all limits, not pursuing a particular goal, and being empowered by chance – the result of which are unique pieces.

Interview

©Sven Emme

From working in publishing to working as a ceramicist, how did you transition?: My first step was to take ceramics courses in a small studio in Hamburg after work. To implement my ideas, I quickly realised I needed to pursue my education more intensively so I enrolled as a part-time student at Höhr-Grenzhausen Technical School for Ceramic Design. It was in 2015 that I officially ended my association with publishing to focus exclusively on my ceramic studies. In 2017, I started selling my creations.
Are there any specific techniques you master?: The art of calligraphy is not directly related to ceramics, but I have worked with it intensively since my studies. The method is always something I enjoy using in my work. My poetry cups consist of calligraphic texts written on one line that overlap so much that the words are no longer legible, and are more characterised by their rhythmic pattern than by their words.
What do you feel is the essence of your approach?: Throughout my work, I believe I have my own signature, which is mainly defined by aesthetics. I find inspiration in shapes, fashion, architecture, and of course nature. When it comes to colours, I am rather sparing, but I like to use contrasts such as light versus dark, coarse versus fine, glossy versus matte.
What do you particular enjoy about your work?: At the moment, I like to give chance a lot of room in my work. Therefore, I am very intuitive when it comes to hitting, throwing, building, and cutting. This has led to the creation of more and more individual pieces in recent years. In many cases, they take the form of sculptural vessels. This method of working freely is very enjoyable to me.

Nana König is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2015 and she started teaching in 2019