Heidi Bjørgan is internationally recognized for her experimental and expressive ceramic works, where challenging the established conventions of both the material and the craft is a central aspect of her artistic practice. Her work is characterized by a combination of technical skills and a courage to push the boundaries of ceramic tradition. Every discipline has its own rules, ideas of what is right and wrong or good and bad, while mastering them provides the freedom to transcend or break them. Pablo Picasso expressed: “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” In this context, “pro” symbolizes discipline, patience, and respect for tradition and the accumulated knowledge it embodies, while “artist” represents freedom, imagination, and courage.
Bjørgan’s medium is ceramics, and she often begins with classical ceramic forms such as the vessel or the vase. This exhibition presents a broader range of traditional forms than her previous exhibitions, while the inclusion of more high-fired works introduces a different colour palette. Every piece is a result of countless decisions, interventions, and transformations. Clay can never be fully controlled, it follows its own internal logic. It is precisely in the dynamic between the artist’s intention and the material’s own will that Bjørgan´s work takes shape. She is drawn towards the point where control begins to slip, allowing imperfection and unpredictability to shape the final work.
Cracks or flowing glazes are not seen as flaws but as traces of the works own creation. Each piece evolves through an extended process involving mould-making, deformation of the moulds, repeated applications of glaze, and multiple firings in which different temperatures are explored. The traces of this process become an essential part of both the aesthetic and conceptual content of the work. While the surfaces possess a rich tactile and visual presence, the real surprise lies in the radical transformation of familiar classical forms. This is where Bjørgan’s artistic vision becomes most distinct, resulting in works that are both unpredictable and original.
Heidi Bjørgan (b. 1970, Trondheim) is based in Bergen, Norway. She studied at the Bergen National Academy of the Arts and Konstfack in Stockholm. She is represented by Taste Contemporary in Geneva, Galleri Format in Oslo, and Tag Team Studio in Bergen. Her works are in the collections of the National Museum of Norway, KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes, Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Kunstsilo, Trondheim Kunstmuseum, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, among others.
The exhibition is supported by Arts Council Norway and the Municipality of Bergen.