Born in Sweden in 1979, Stefan Andersson received his BFA from HDK, Gothenburg in 2009. His degree capped off ten years of ceramic study, four of which were spent as an assistant to Swedish potter Jan-Aake Andersson who introduced the Japanese anagama kiln to Sweden.
Click to see a larger image.
Andersson works by increments, remaking a piece many times over and getting very meticulous over each iteration. “The result is an unromantic but loving study of the potter’s means,” he states. Even in the small collection of wares we’ve included here, we can see the works changing by tiny, but important degrees. It’s a very paced, calm experience.
The pots are made at the potters wheel in small unique series. Clays, glazes and slips are studied and fired in wood, salt, gas, oil and electric kilns to give a wide range of expressions.”
His video on wood firing, which we’ve linked below, explains the look of many of the pieces. Andersson discusses the defects on his website, stating they’re more about character, divorced from either neglect or intent.
When looking at my work you should expect to see marks. Maybe a fingerprint, ridges from throwing, scars from how they where stacked in the kiln and patterns created by fire. To me these marks are decorative and very much a part of the pieces spirit. However I let them come naturally and not by force.
Most of my work is wood fired. Fire is fascinating, full of life and in long wood firings clay develops and get added depth. I fire my pieces with clear intentions but I keep an open mind when unloading.
We could listen to Andersson talk at length about his work, which is lucky for us because he had an hour-long appearance on The Potters Cast in July 2014.
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Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Stefan Andersson. Photographs courtesy of the potter.
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