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©Rannveig Gisladottir
©Rannveig Gisladottir
©All rights reserved
©Steve Ogden
©Iris Stefansdottir

Þórdís Baldursdóttir

  • Ceramicist
  • Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
  • Master Artisan
Þórdís Baldursdóttir Ceramicist
Contact
Icelandic, English, Norwegian
Hours:
By appointment only
©All rights reserved

Palpable nature

  • • Þórdís enjoys experimenting with materials
  • • She balances control and allowing the clay to speak
  • • She makes elegant functional forms out of porcelain

Þórdís Baldursdóttir attributes her understanding of people and human interactions to her past career as a nurse. It might not be an obvious connection with tableware design, but this understanding of people allows her to create products that resonate and are beautiful in their functionality. She is inspired by the rough and wild Icelandic nature, where the evidence of natural forces is so visible – the sands, glaciers and lava fields. Þórdís draws on these powerful elements as she works with clay, pushing and pulling it into forms and playing with glazes. She often uses local clay in her designs. It is through these two key elements – her understanding of people and connection with nature – that Þórdís creates objects which elevate the everyday experience.

Read the full interview

Works

  • ©Iris Stefansdottir
  • ©Iris Stefansdottir
  • ©Iris Stefansdottir
  • ©Iris Stefansdottir
  • ©Þórdís Baldursdóttir
Photo: ©Iris Stefansdottir
Sushi set

Here is a long rectangular, cast porcelain sushi plate with a ball shaped small bowl. The glaze is in black and green tones which Þórdís Baldursdóttir calls Lava and Moss and is inspired by the lava fields in Iceland which are covered in green moss.

Photo: ©Iris Stefansdottir
My Special Mountain

This is a hand built porcelain tealight holder in the shape of a special mountain in Iceland named Snæfellsjökull. The glaze is specially mixed by Þórdís Baldursdóttir and the glacier on the top lights up when the candle is lit.

Photo: ©Iris Stefansdottir
The Ice Crack

This is a hand built porcelain hemisphere, with an electric LED light inside. The outer surface opens like a crack in the ice. On the inner surface are hand cut openings where the light shines through. It is all in a white matte glaze.

Photo: ©Iris Stefansdottir
Lava and Moss

A cast porcelain decanter, which can also be used as a flower vase is paired with a glass for water or wine. The dark glaze is a special mix by Þórdís Baldursdóttir and is a rough, matte black glaze which radiates into glossy green colours.

Photo: ©Þórdís Baldursdóttir
Iceramic tableware

Here are a cast and hand built porcelain cup with double plates. They are glazed in white, with a specially made black, rough glaze on one side, which lightens up into greens. A handle on one side of the bowl and high rims on the plates make the objects easy to handle.

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