Originally from Iceland, Björk Haraldsdóttir’s ceramic vessels explore the conversation between the pseudo perfection of geometric pattern and the tactile impurity of hand modelled clay. In each vessel she deliberately creates warped planes through careful pattern cutting and jointing of would-be flat slabs of clay so that her vessels become slightly off-kilter, beguiling the viewer. The strong geometric patterning and both natural and architectural forms that make Bjork’s work instantly recognisable is heavily influenced by her past. The artist studied architecture at The Glasgow School of Art (where she collected the Glasgow Silver Medal for Architecture) and worked in the industry for over 20 years for a number of renowned architects including Richard Rogers before exploring her passion for ceramic forms. She works with the clay as she trained, pieces are planned and drawn before they are made and made as they are conceived – glass and steel have long since been replaced by clay.

The theme of movement and containment continues in Völuspá which is named after the best-known poem in the Poetic Edda. It tells the story of the creation of the world, its demise and subsequent re-birth. Creating artwork is sometimes as precarious as the poem‘s story and is fitting to this piece, which has proven a challenging construct.