Katy Hertell

Helsinki-based ceramic artist and sculptor Katy Hertell (b. 1941) spent much of the 1980s attending numerous art courses and experimenting with various materials such as wood, stone, Siporex and concrete. In the 1990s, she found clay as her own medium and has worked with the material ever since.

Katy Hertell

Helsinki-based ceramic artist and sculptor Katy Hertell (b. 1941) spent much of the 1980s attending numerous art courses and experimenting with various materials such as wood, stone, Siporex and concrete. In the 1990s, she found clay as her own medium and has worked with the material ever since.

“I am intrigued by the possibilities offered by clay, as well as the unpredictability of the material. When I start on a new piece, I rarely have a clear picture of what I want to create. I trust that the clay knows. After firing, the finished product is at first glance a surprise.”

She gains inspiration from Eastern and Greek mythology, from the animal world, from children and from nature, in creating hand-built sculptures in stoneware, which are often used as pots or bowls.

“In recent years, I have made a series of Luonnonsuojelija (“Nature Protector”) sculptures which double as flower pots. They can carry and support a small part of nature. The first piece was born from an accident in which a crack gave a new meaning to a broken sculpture. The object blurs the line between art and functionalism and highlights the inseparability of man and nature. Beauty and aesthetics are my tools. And through my work, I want to show our dependence on nature.”

Katy Hertell’s Work

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