Kristine Thenman

Kristine Thenman creates stories with clay that have their origin in nature. Her idiom and strong illustrative manner with organic patterns associates both Art Nouveau and folklore.

Kristine Thenman grew up in Edane outside Arvika in Sweden, an area where the pottery heritage is strong, and where crafts hold a unique position in the community. Here, you have familiarity, tradition and rootedness in the material. She has a solid education background in ceramic arts from different schools. A stable foundation in the crafts was added to her years in Bergen, a period that challenged and developed her work conceptually as well as artistically.

She returned to Sweden to achieve her Master’s at HDK (Academy of Design and Crafts) in Gothenburg in 2007. In the following years, she created her workshop in Edane, continuing to model her own world of form. Through several solo shows and participation in a large number of group exhibitions, she has continued exploring different environments and enchanting the contemporary art scene as well as the world of crafts with her curious shapes. 

What does your work process look like in general?
The process is free and playful. If someone were to look into my studio when I work, they would probably perceive it as chaotic. I have a lot going on at the same time, it's an atmosphere filled with activity, shapes and materials.

I often begin with a word or a form as a starting point, and then model intuitively based on that. One leads to the other. In parallel, I sketch with pen and paper but also by photographing. In this way, I build up a layer of shapes that I can pick from. A leftover shape from a previous project can get a new life and be completed in the encounter with something else. In this way, the projects overlap and slide into each other. I often start at one point and end up somewhere completely different.
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The vase KROKUS, exclusively designed for Fine Little Day, is a poetic and organic bell-shaped sculpture, where Kristine Thenman connects her various art-making skills together.

KROKUS is made of earthenware and is available in four sizes and three colors. With or without flowers in it, it captures the attention in the room. The pointed leaf-shaped edge allows for compositions where stems can rest between the leaves. Arrange it in a group with several sizes or place a solitaire on the table. The vase is molded and glazed in a handcrafted way. The presence of the hand is always present in the end product, a feature that we love, as it tells the story of how the product is made.

"I love to model. To let my hand work intuitively and find shapes in the lump of clay. The vase came about when I needed some small vases for the children's first spring bouquets, the ones without leaves and not so much stalk for that matter either. The crocus is a favorite when it appears as a splash of color in the gray-beige last year's grass, in early spring. ” – Kristine Thenman