Karin Östberg

There are several important elements in ceramic art. In addition to the subject and the choice of creating abstract, figurative, and/or utilitarian work, ceramics is also about color and texture. These require artistic skill, technical mastery, and extensive knowledge of glazes.

The ceramic work of Karin Östberg (Sweden, born 1955) is the result of a glaze project which started in 2003. In this project she developed detaching crackle glazes which she applies to earthenware. During the firing process, the earthenware becomes visible in the grooves of the crackle, which emerges randomly in organic patterns. These craquelure patterns are reminiscent of the burst structures in the earth, for instance of dry river beds.

The objects are abstract forms, originating in mathematical rhythms and built up by hand. They have no specific purpose or meaning and consist of free-standing objects which can also be hung on the wall. In this way she creates a rhythm in the object which also incorporates the space around it. The objects are based on rectangles or circles; these simple origins give an endless range of possibilities.

The colors, varying from grey tints to turquoise and orange/red variants, give the objects a fresh and airy character. The autonomous objects encourage combination, enabling a different and specific work of art for every area. This art invites playing with objects in a space.