Naja Utzon Popov

Ceramicist

©Naja Utzon Popov

When Art Encounters Nature

Naja works primarily with ceramics, and sometimes with textiles and glass
She interprets indigenous culture in her artworks
She makes monumental pieces that invite the outside in

Naja Utzon Popov is a sculptor and ceramicist born in Denmark, raised in Australia, and trained and educated in England. Naja bridges her rich architectural background and artistic training with the magical surroundings of her Australian childhood to find her expression. Whether crafting clay vases or sculpting gravity-defying rock, there is a monumental scope to everything she does. Naja's pieces are raw and harmonious, visibly handmade yet left open for nature to bestow the finish. Her creative process is always a conversation and cooperation with the natural environment. She interprets ancient indigenous expressions and places them in a modern space, carving a beautiful space of balance.

Interview

©Naja Utzon Popov

©Naja Utzon Popov

Do you work with materials other than ceramics?: I have a powerful expression that is uniquely mine, inspired by my thoughts around nature and my sense of belonging. I use ceramic, but also glass and textile sometimes, and approach each material with the same curiosity. Nature is their common denominator.
How do you work with size in your art?: All my installations comprise several elements that together create a more significant whole. I have a large-scale idea, and then break each element into smaller sections. I do not believe in the limitations of material or scale. There is always a way.
How do you approach space?: I love being challenged by space, creating an artwork for a specific situation, and working out how to best fill the space for the people who have daily movement around it. When space, artwork, and people integrate, something beautiful happens.
Why do you incorporate indigenous culture into your art?: My artworks all have a reference to nature. ‘Continuum’ is inspired by a Greenlandic legend about the mother of the seas, and ‘Momentum’ is based on nature's ability to restore itself. I am inspired by our connection as people and how we belong to a place.

Naja Utzon Popov is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2002 and she started teaching in 2022