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© OH YU
© Torbjørn Kvasbø
© Torbjørn Kvasbø
© Torbjørn Kvasbø
© All rights reserved

Torbjørn Kvasbø

Torbjørn Kvasbø Ceramicist
Contact
Norwegian, English
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+47 97028877
© Tan Hongyu

An ode to life

  • • Torbjørn explores life and its limits
  • • He has an experimental approach
  • • His students learn to believe in only themselves

Torbjørn Kvasbø grew up working with his grandfather, a carpenter, in the small Norwegian mountain village of Venabygd where he still lives and works. A piano player who was initially intending to get into a music conservatory, Torbjørn started to experiment with ceramics and ended up applying to art school instead, gaining a place to study ceramics at the Bergen School of Applied Arts. "The class of 1975-1978 is legendary," he says. "We had a riot and fired our teachers to get guest teachers!" The first master they invited to teach them was Takeshi Yasuda. This need “to teach and to learn” resulted in Torbjørn attending the Centre for Ceramic Art at Ringebu Parsonage, an experimental local ceramic residency for top ranked guest ceramic artists, which hosts exhibitions and workshops.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Dannevig
  • © IT Park Photographic Studio Ming Chih HUNG
  • © Jørn Hagen
  • © Liling Valley Ceramic Museum, China
Photo: © Dannevig
Turquoise form

The fine grained stoneware clay body of this piece has wheel thrown cylinders inside to create volume, on top of a coarse clay base. Pushing the clay from within creates a voluminous form and stretches the structure. An alkaline frit-based copper oxide Egyptian blue glaze, with darker parts also containing cobalt carbonate, creates the vibrant turquoise. The low viscosity of the glaze clearly reveals all the details in the body underneath.

Height 55 cm
Diameter 80 cm

Photo: © IT Park Photographic Studio Ming Chih HUNG
White form with body

A thinly layered coarse stoneware clay body is assembled on top of a coarse clay base. Torbjørn uses wheel thrown cylinders inside the body to build volume, pushing the clay from within. These cavities create a voluminous form and stretch the structure. The piece is fired in a gas kiln. Several coats of terra sigillata are sprayed on its surface.

Height 52 cm
Diameter 80 cm

Photo: © Jørn Hagen
Tube sculpture

Extruded, curved, terracotta clay tubes are roughly modelled together. The tubes, fired in an electric kiln, are assembled in an almost conical, ulcerous shape. White ball clay slip sprayed onto the surface creates the sculpture's smooth and glossy surface, while a red lead-based glaze creates the warm terracotta colour. A glazed kiln shelf and bricks form the base.

Width 100 cm
Height 140 cm

Photo: © Liling Valley Ceramic Museum, China
Tube sculpture

Differently shaped extruded tubes made of buff stoneware clay are roughly modelled together and gas fired in three different groups. The matt white exterior of each tube is achieved through super-white Jingdezhen porcelain slip, which is sprayed on. Tools, kiln shelf supports and insulating bricks are integrated into the sculpture, which sits on a welded metal stand.

Height 180 cm
Diameter 65 cm

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