Work by accomplished potters always stands out from the rest. The flat turned piece pictured below I had for several years before I discovered its maker, went on to find out more about her story, and then discovered the lovely bowl by Helle also pictured below.
Helle Allpass trained as an architect initially, but followed a family tradition of pottery soon after. Her father was Christian Schollert, of Schollert Keramik, and her Grandfather Christian Johansen from Korsør.
Helle started her own studio in 1964 just north of Copenhagen, which became very successful and included her founding of the North Zealand Ceramics association. She lived and worked here for the rest of her life, but sadly suffered from Parkinsons disease from around 1996.
Helle’s is best known for her large, sculptural, architectural and garden pieces – often featuring her signature cobalt blue glaze. She also used a reddish iron rich flecked glaze quite often. You can also find smaller studio wheel-thrown pieces though like the ones pictured here from time to time. Many of the sculptural pieces were made from wheel thrown pieces, combined to make very tall forms.
Her daughter Ane Schollert worked alongside Helle during her last years, and Ane has continuation a family tradition and still works as a potter in Copenhagen. Aneschollert.dk
Jorgen Mogensen, Danish Potter (1927-2017 Denmark), Mid Century, Modernist Danish Pottery
I believe Jørgen MOGENSEN is one of the 20th Century’s most important Danish potters and sculptors. I love the sculptural qualities of his work and the way he uses glazes to accentuate the textural quality of his pieces. His pieces are all beautifully formed – and nearly always quite heavy and sculptural.
Mogensen trained at the Art Craftsman School in Copenhagen, and then studied for a period in Paris. He started his professional career as a potters apprentice with Royal Copenhagen in 1949. He worked with iconic figures such as Knud Khyn, Axel Salto, Gerd Bogelund and Nils Thorsson in their “stoneware cellar” where this group worked at Royal Copenhagen.
His first work for Royal Copenhagen were his 1950s pieces of stylised bird motifs with a mottled brownish stoneware glaze – a similar glaze to which the other stoneware artists were using during this period. He rarely used other glazes or colours – but you can sometimes find a design in blues.
The pieces below are all pieces I have owned by Jorgen Mogensen. The first piece I had was the squared vase form, which I was so drawn to it eventually led me to discover a whole world of Danish Mid-Century pottery which I have been researching, learning and writing about ever since.
I believe Jorgen Mogensens work to be generally under-rated and under-valued compared to the work of his peers at Royal Copenhagen like Axel Salto, Gerd Bogelund etc.
Jorgen Mogensen, Royal Copenhagen, Shallow Bowl FormJorgen Mogensen, Royal Copenhagen, Shallow Bowl FormJorgen Mogensen, Bird Vase Form, Royal CopenhagenJorgen Mogensen, Small Dish, Royal CopenhagenJorgen Mogensen, Large Vase, Royal CopenhagenJorgen Mogensen, Royal Copenhagen, Thrown Bowl Form with Toucan Design – Very Rare
Jorgen said that his figures of animals were influenced by a visit to a Mexican exhibition in Sweden – and it had such influence on him that he developed his own style based on it that was to stay with him for the rest of his career.
In 1965, frustrated with working at Royal Copenhagen – Mogensen started his own studio where he produced highly original pottery and monumental sculpture – most of which was in a “primitive” Nordic style which demonstrated his great skill at combining sculpture and ceramics.
Jorgen Mogensen, Own Studio, Slab FormJorgen Mogensen, Own Studio, Slab FormJorgen Mogensen, Own Studio, Thrown PlatterJorgen Mogensen, Own Studio Bowl
Production ceased in the studio around the late 1980’s. The studio pieces are signed with his easily recognisable signature and usually “Denmark” stamped on. They also usually have a letter followed by 3 numbers as identifiers.
Jorgen Mogensen, Own Studio Signature
In 1991 Mogensen retired from Ceramics and painted until 2003. His wife Ursula Prinz Mogensen who also worked at Royal Copenhagen, and then along side Jorgen in his studio is a well known ceramicist in her own right.
Jorgen Mogensen in his studio 2009 – Photo by the archived site Simplymodern.dk who have an interview with Jorgen in his studio.
The work of Ejvind Nielsen has become highly sought after amongst collectors, and while you will find a number of pieces by Ejvind Nielsen for sale around the place, it is hard to find out much about him or his work.
What I have found is this though:
It is not clear where he had his apprenticeship – but he did spend some time in England in the 1930’s, and then in Spain as a volunteer after the Civil War.
Ejvind opened his own pottery in 1943 in Hvidovre, Denmark and it ran through until 1978 – but had enough stock to keep the shop open until the mid 1980’s. Sadly the pottery is no longer there, and a new house stands on the block.
Ejvind Nielsen, Jar FormEjvind Nielsen, Signature
Opening during the War meant supplies were quite short – so it seems he worked for a time at Royal Copenhagen under Thorkild Ohlsen, where he also met his wife Lizzi.
Thorkild and Lizzi took some time off for a sabbatical in 1964 in Africa, and this influenced a series of Wall plaques in addition to the other output from the pottery.
Apparently Lizzi designed the animals and the glazes were developed by Ejvind.
Below are the pieces by Ejvind Nielsen I have come across and documented.
