Ulla Sonne

Ceramicist

A porcelain rendition of the sea bed

Ulla's porcelain work is inspired by our underwater world
She steers away from a minimalist aesthetic, inspired instead by the richness of nature
She uses soda during firing to recreate the unpredictability of marks left by the sea

Ulla Sonne is a ceramicist who was educated at the Danish School of Design in 1979. She has exhibited ever since and won numerous awards for her craft. Ulla lives and works by the sea in the southern archipelago of Funen in Denmark. Porcelain is Ulla’s material of choice, and the biological wonders of our underwater world inspire her work. "The transparency of porcelain and the ever-changing distribution of sunlight on its surface work well with my aquatic themes," she explains. Through her poetic pieces, Ulla aims to raise the awareness of the biological threat that the precious oceanic environment faces. Her ceramics capture the evolutionary beauty, resilience, and frailty of this world.

Interview

Which material between porcelain and clay is closest to your heart?: Porcelain is dearest to my heart, without a doubt. It is more challenging to work with because it resists your intentions. This is very different to clay, which is malleable. Porcelain also has a particular transparency that can produce endless variations of expression.
Does living by the South Funen archipelago in Denmark come through in your work?: I live in a house on the beach. The objects that are washed ashore and the underwater world inspire me. The colours and structures influence my work, so in that sense, South Funen plays a considerable role.
Have travels influenced the themes in your work?: I love the deserts, beaches and colours of Oman, its architectural lines, and the ornamentation of the buildings. Its simplicity and beauty are not minimalist like in our culture. Diving in different places around the world has opened my eyes to the wonders of the sea.
What does soda-glazing add to your work?: In the soda process, I seek to imitate how sea currents distribute sediments on coral. The ash and oxygen change the colour of my glazes, and the soda and heat that travel around in the kiln all contribute to the particular surface expression of my work.

Ulla Sonne is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1972