Berndt Friberg: Swedish Ceramics Master

Berndt Friberg

Berndt Friberg

Berndt Friberg

Berndt Friberg

Berndt Friberg

Berndt Friberg

Swedish artist Berndt Friberg had a few nicknames in his time but he was usually called “Hand of God” amongst other potters and his circle of friends. He was known for being a perfectionist and did not keep pieces which were not to his satisfaction.

Friberg was born to a family of potters and started his career at a young age, it was pretty much written in stone that he would follow the same path. He spent his early stages working at Höganäs pottery, situated in a small mill town where the clay is perfect for stoneware making and pottery. From 1944 onwards he was employed as a thrower to Wilhelm Kåge and Stig Lindberg at Gustavsberg’s pottery, both of these artists had a massive impact on Swedish ceramics and its future. This specific workshop was created by Wilhelm as a platform for artists to independently create unique ceramic art ware, a perfect place for Berndt Friberg to set up shop and make objects freely.

What’s notable about Berndt is that he never let anyone else to throw his pieces -- he did it all by hand one at a time and refused that anyone else would do it under his name. He was particularly inspired by traditional Chinese and Japanese works. The glazes were where Friberg ended up excelling, he painstakingly applied these finishes to achieve great structure and depth.

When you view his pieces, you’re struck by the detail and the simplicity of the items, that very much serve a function but are also beautiful to the eye. 

I would also recommend checking out the Berndt Friberg’s "miniatures" -- they’re really something special and are some of the best works in this category.