Playful pottery

Ceramist Lene Holmlund creates unique and vibrant coloured stoneware from her studio by the Roskilde Fjord in North Zealand.

By Marianne Thøgersen | Photos: LH Ceramics

Danish ceramist Lene Holmlund only began exploring ceramics six years ago but has become captivated by the endless possibilities that clay enables, the exquisite range of colours that glazing can impart, and the finished products’ smooth surfaces. “I wasn’t a natural talent but stubbornness can take you far. It’s one of those things that look so easy but is incredibly difficult to get right,” Holmlund says.

Working from her studio right on the beautiful Roskilde Fjord in North Zealand in the small town of Kregme, Holmlund spends hours immersed in crafting stoneware at the pottery wheel. The studio has a panoramic view of the fjordone she can indulge in from the wheel.

“I find inspiration all around me: in nature, a cat napping in the sun, travels, shapes, new colours, garden flowers,” she explains. She creates jugs, mugs, plates, small bowls, salad bowls, vases, plant pots and bird baths. No two products are the same as everything is handmade and hand glazed. Everything is made from stoneware - a robust, dishwasher-safe material that can also withstand the icy Danish winters.

Exploring her creativity

Holmlund has a structured way of working. She starts out early in the morning, takes a long walk by the water at noon and continues well into the night with her popular ceramic classes. But she always finds time to explore her own creativity.

“I always finish my day at the wheel with free play and a big lump of clay. I never know what will come out of it but something always emerges. It may be a vase, a bowl or a plate. I also play with the glazes, mixing them and trying new things out,” Holmlund says. One result of her explorations, a bowl made with soap bubbles blown onto the clay, has become something of a signature piece. www.lhkeramik.dk

She hosts several ceramic courses for children, adults, grandparents, businesses, team-building groups, and anyone else keen on exploring their creative streak. LH Ceramics is available at Danish art markets throughout the summer, as well as on Instagram and at the webshop, where products can be shipped worldwide.

Instagram: @lh_keramik