Today I thought I would introduce you to the wonderfully uplifting and gorgeous work of ceramic sculptor Merete Rasmussen.
Pictured above is ‘Entwined Yellow’ a brightly coloured and gravity defying ceramic loop sculpture. Bright colours and intricate, continuous entwining loops are two defining features of Merete’s work.
This work was part of Rasmussen’s London show in 2015, Bronze & Ceramic @pangolin.london sculpture gallery – which is also where you will find me during the day as I’m the gallery’s artist liaison. Well, you’ll find me there whenever lockdown ends and the gallery re-opens.
Born in Copenhagen but brought up in Sweden, Rasmussen studied ceramics at the Designskolen Kolding, Denmark and was inspired by the works of fellow Danes Arne Jacobesen and Verner Paton.
Rasmussen works mainly in stoneware clay and hand builds her pieces using the coiling technique, one of the oldest methods of shaping clay.
To achieve the smooth surface, Rasmussen uses old credit cards and oyster cards as she finds these enable a much smoother surface result compared to the traditional tools ceramicists use.
Rasmussen enjoys the complex nature of her creations and the juxtaposition of the fragility and strength which her works hold.
For me, I find her work uplifting and simply beautiful. Two traits which make a work of art extra special.
Jo McLaughlin, July 2020
Her work can be found in a number of #museum collections which include:
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London @vamuseum
The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh @nationalmuseumscotland
The Museum of Arts and Design, New York @madmuseum
The National Fund of Contemporary Arts, France @fondsartcontemporain_paris
The Crafts Council Collection, UK @craftscouncil
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge @fitzmuseum_uk
For more from Merete, follow her on Instagram: @_mereterasmussen
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