A meeting with ceramic artist Torbjørn Kvasbø / KODE Art Museums

Norwegian ceramic artist Torbjørn Kvasbø (b. 1953) ) inhabits an organic, telluric world and is currently one of Europe’s most important sculptor-ceramists, with considerable influence on the younger generation of artists. How does he make his works? And why does he work in clay? For two days we followed Kvasbø working in his studio at Venabygd, Gudbrandsdalen.
Kvasbø is one of three artists presented in the exhibition "Forces - Dyrdal Kvasbø Tingleff" at the KODE Art Museums in Bergen 10 May-15 September 2019 and at Sørlandet Art Museum 12 October 2019-26 January 2020.
The physical dialogue between artist and material has a central place in ceramicist Torbjørn Kvasbø’s work, especially in the way he builds huge works from soft clay without them collapsing under their own weight. He has long fired his pieces in an ‘anagama’ kiln, a wood-fired tunnel kiln based on an Asian model. The firing process takes five to six days, and both the flames and the ash leave their mark on the surface of the pieces.
For a long time, Kvasbø used slabs of clay and hand-thrown cylinders to construct his large pieces. He later started using clay tubes made with an extruder, a mechanical device that presses the clay through openings in a template - like a gigantic cookie cutter. He then stacks the lengths of tube to form horizontal or upright structures. He has also started using strongly coloured glazes.
Kvasbø is fascinated by what happens when artists are brought together and challenged to work outside the bounds of the known. For several decades now, he has alternated between his studio in Venabygd and big international workshops. His encounter with the famous American ceramists Peter Voulkos and Peter Callas (whom he brought to Norway in 1993, to pursue shared workshops) proved decisive for his oeuvre, encouraging him to explore a more expansive style and a freer relationship with his materials.
Torbjørn Kvasbø studied at Bergen School of Applied Art from 1975 to 1978. He was professor of ceramics at the Academy of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg from 1996 to 2000, and at Konstfack, University College of Arts, Craft and Design in Stockholm from 2000 to 2008. He is currently President of the International Academy of Ceramics 2018-2024 (IAC). Torbjørn Kvasbø was awarded the Craft Prize 2012.
Produced by Maria Tripodianos
Directed by Paul Johannessen
Video: Paul Johannessen / Brage Kvasbø
This film is produced by KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes and by SKMU - Sørlandet Art Museum.