Join us for this 25 minute conversation with the lovely Anne Mette Hjortshøj, part 1 of 3. She talks about the benefits of living and working on the potter’s island of Bornholm in Denmark, a visit from the Queen, and the joys of being able to discover and use local clays and glaze materials in her work. She discusses how she chooses pots for a gallery show while maintaining artistic integrity and remaining focussed on making pots only for herself. She speaks of her lifelong love of Korean ceramics and her visits to the Mungyeong Teabowl Festival. And finally, she relates the joys of working with other potters, how to be a teacher, how to be a student, the importance of firing test pieces and, most importantly, never to judge pots when first opening the kiln. Enjoy!
Clay
Documentary | Anne Mette Hjortshøj | Paying Honest Attention
Anne Mette Hjortshøj lives and works on the small Danish island of Bornholm situated in the Baltic Sea.
Our documentary gives a gentle and revealing insight into one of Denmark’s leading potters. It follows Hjortshøj’s daily life; collecting clay from the local beach for her glazes, throwing and making pots in her studio, and talking about the firing of her two chamber wood-fired salt kiln and its role in producing the decorative aspects of her work. We learn of her influences both within and outside of the Danish potting tradition and the inspiration she takes from the nature of the island.
Her pots are characterised by a quiet dignity, entirely in tune with her surroundings and demonstrate the greatest respect for both beauty and function.
Masterclass | Lisa Hammond | Making Cups
In this 48 minute film Lisa Hammond MBE talks about her philosophy towards teaching pottery and demonstrates how she makes cups or yunomi. She throws ‘off the hump’ and talks about the wooden tools that she uses. She also demonstrates her carving techniques once the cups are leather hard. Finally, we have a whirlwind tour of her exhibition. (The making sequence starts around 6:00)
In Focus | Mashiko: The Pottery Town of Japan
Lying some 60 miles north of the swarming metropolis of Tokyo, the pottery town of Mashiko rests beneath the shallow slopes of Mt Takadate.