View Bente Skjøttgaard’s works featured on Ceramics Now Magazine
Featured in Ceramics Now Magazine – Issue Two
“The basic elements in my work are the materials: clay and glaze. I enjoy engaging in expressive ceramic experiments that test the boundaries of material and form.
I often take my point of departure in nature’s principles and regularities of form. This results in strange inscrutable sculptural growths and large wild and amorphous nature abstractions that may be both lush and melancholic with an expression of beauty in both growth and decay.” Bente Skjøttgaard
“Bente Skjøttgaard is a ceramist: she was born in 1961. In much the same manner as a runner or an existential philosopher, she is cultivating her material, which is clay overcoated with an application of glaze. She is a master of her field and she is “inside” the clay in the sense that she is challenging herself each and every time she creates a new work. The glazed pieces are constantly becoming larger and more voluminous, with interiors consisting of complicated constructions, as is the case inside a person or an animal, a prehistoric creature or another biological phenomenon. And the beauty cannot be mistaken. It is a kind of primeval nature, but accordingly a nature that is created both from within and from without, in the course of a protracted reciprocal interplay. There is never a matter here of theoretical ceramics – everything is executed with a sensitivity and a sensibility for the materials’ capabilities and intrinsic value. Clay becomes form, lump, branch, tube, excrescence – it’s clear that certain rules of the game are useful but the very act transpiring between artist and material is of an almost sensual, erotic character. What we have before us is an instinctual drive, a symbiosis between artist and work, a drive that can be likened to running without having a goal in sight, like a weak-sighted boy who is attentive to his surroundings through the means of all open senses. The foundation is here – maybe even the grounding. The existence. The attention is turned both inward and outward.” Excerpt from “Elements in white”, a text By Erik Steffensen – Professor at The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen.
Bente Skjøttgaard’s C.V. (resume) – View her works
TRAINING AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
2009 – ISCAEE Symposium – The International Symposium of Ceramics Education and Exchange, Korea
2006 – Creates the exhibition group ”Lux Lab”
2005 – Lecturer in the Department of Ceramics – The Danish Design School, Copenhagen
2001 – Creates the exhibition group ”New Danish Ceramics”
1999-00 – Joint owner of ”Udstillingssted for Ny Keramik”, Kompagnistræde 25, Copenhagen
1994-05 – Visiting teacher, Kolding Design School & The Danish Design School, Copenhagen
1986-90 – Attached to the research department of Bing & Grøndahl, later merged with Royal Copenhagen
1982-86 – Kolding Design School, Kolding
SOLO SHOWS (selection)
2010 – ”Dans le nuages”, Galerie Maria Lund, Paris
– ”Cumulus”, Ann Linnemann galleri, Copenhagen
– Fokus on ”Traces” Vejen Kunstmuseum, Vejen
2008 – Blås & Knåda, Stockholm
– ”Elements in white”, Galerie Maria Lund, Paris
– Køppe gallery, Copenhagen
2007 – Puls-contemporary ceramics, Brussels
2006 – Galerie Maria Lund – La Galerie Danoise, Paris
2005 – ”Interglacial period”, Galleri Nørby, Copenhagen
2004 – Galerie Maria Lund – La Galerie Danoise, Paris
2003 – ”Glasurstykker med forgreninger”, ”Glazed items with ramifications”, Holstebro Kunstmuseum, Holstebro
– ”Bente Skjøttgaard 2001-2003”, Grimmerhus, Danmarks Keramikmuseum, Middelfart
2001 – Puls-contemporary ceramics, Brussels
2000 – ”Glasurstykker” – ”Glazed items”, Galleri Nørby, Copenhagen
1997 – ”Håndvask” Udstillingssted for Ny Keramik, Copenhagen
1990 – Royal Copenhagen, Amagertorv, Copenhagen
GROUP SHOWS (selection)
2010 – Biennale international de Vallauris, Musée Magnelli, Vallauris, France
– KIAF 2010, Korea, with Galerie Maria Lund
2009 – ”Collect”, Saatchi Gallery, London, with Køppe gallery
– The Invitational World Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition ”Adventures of the fire”, Korea
– KIAF 2009, Korea, with Galerie Maria Lund
– 15 éme Biennale international de céramique, Châteauroux, France
– Gallery: Contemporary Ceramics, room 141, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
2008 – “Statistics><Ceramics”, New Danish Ceramics, Röhsska Museet, Göteborg & Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
– ”Lux-Lab”, Gimsinghoved, Struer
– KIAF 2008, Korea International Art Fair Seoul, Korea, with Galerie Maria Lund
2007 – ”Collect”, V&A, London, with Galleri Nørby
– ”Biennalen 2007”, Trapholt Kunstmuseum, Kolding
– ”Everything flux”, Drud & Køppe gallery, Copenhagen
2006 – ”Bjerge i dansk kunst”, Herning Kunstmuseum, Herning
– ”European Ceramic Context 2006”, Bornholms Kunstmuseum, Gudhjem
2005 – ”Carsten Løvbjergs samling”, Horsens Kunstmuseum, Horsens
2004 – Gæsteudstiller på Corner Udstillingen 2004, Charlottenborg, Copenhagen
– ”Biennalen 2004”, Trapholt Kunstmuseum, Kolding & Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum, Aalborg
2003 – SOFA, Chicago, with Galleri Nørby
– ”New Danish Ceramics” Kunstindustrimuseet, Copenhagen
2002 – ”From the Kilns of Denmark: Contempory Danish Ceramics”, The Museum of Art and Design, New York, Fitchburg, San Diego, Sacaramento, Racine, Paris & Berlin
– ”Mellem rum”, Udstillingssted for Ny Keramik i Galleri Nørby, Copenhagen
2000 – ”Keramik uden fortilfælde”, Udstillingssted for Ny Keramik Copenhagen
– ”DANSK FORM – design vom Nachbarn”, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
1999 – ”Keramik aus Dänemark”, Galleri Handwerk, Munich
1998 – ”i blomst – i vase”, Udstillingssted for Ny Keramik, Copenhagen
1996 – ”DUPLIKA-dansk brugskunst 1996”, Dansk Arkitekturcenter, Gl. Dok, Copenhagen
1995 – ”En Badeværelseshistorie”, Galleri Nørby, Copenhagen
– ”Dansk Design proces – produkt”, Dansk Arkitektur center, Gl. Dok, Copenhagen
1994 – ”Dagligdagens Rum og Ritualer”, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen
– ”Den Keramiske Kande”, Marienlyst Slot, Helsingør
– ”Den Danske Keramiktriennale I”, Trapholt Kunstmuseum, Kolding
1993 – Kunsthåndværkerprisen af 1879, Kunstindustrimuseet, Copenhagen
1991 – Charlottenborgs Forårsudstilling, Copenhagen
– Charlottenborgs Efterårsudstilling, Copenhagen
– ”Never Compromise on Quality”, Spøttrup Borgmuseum, Skive
PUBLIC COMMISSION
2009-10 – ”Traces” The Danish Art Foundation, Hærvejen Jutland
AWARDS AND GRANTS
– The Danish Art Foundation 3-year grant
– Annie & Otto Johs. Detlefs’ Keramikpris
– The Danish Art Foundation
– Danmarks Nationalbanks Jubilæumsfond af 1968
– Ole Haslunds Kunstnerfond
– Danish Crafts
– Designfonden
– Det Reiersenske Fond
– Grosserer L.F. Foghts Fond
– Kunsthåndværkerprisen af 1879
– National Workshops for Arts and Crafts, Ministery of Culture, Denmark
COLLECTIONS (selection)
– Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Donated by Annie & Otto Johs. Detlefs Fond
– Musée National de Céramique de Sévres, France
– Fond National d’Art Contemporain, France
– The Danish Arts Foundation
– Københavns Kulturfond, Copenhagen
– Kunstforeningen af 14. August, Copenhagen
– The Danish Museum of Art & Design, Copenhagen
– Holstebro Kunstmuseum, Holstebro
– Vejen Kunstmuseum, Vejen
– Arts Museum Trapholt, Kolding
– Grimmerhus, Museum of International Ceramic Art, Middelfart
– Annie & Otto Johs. Detlefs Collection
– Erik Veistrup Collection
– Leif Djurhus Collection
– Jan Abrahamsen Collection
– Carsten Løvbjerg Collection
Visit Bente Skjøttgaard’s website.
View the featured ceramic artists list.
