Ulla Hansen Ceramics
My preferred shapes and forms are classical inspired by ancient, islamic and asian arts and crafts.
My clay is the very sandy red clay from the South of Denmark. In my large trays and bowls I add stoneware clay. I mix and clean it myself and store it for more than a year before I use it.
I throw all my pieces on the wheel, after which I pull or draw lobes, make facets, cut, shape and/or stamp bands. I give most pieces a slip - often several layers. I'm very fascinated by glazes and the hues derived from the slips and the ash and clay glazes. I use ash and clay glazes and the hues are derived from the slips : many types of different ashes like from beechwood, straw, oak yield different hues and colors. I much prefer light blue and green, turquoise colors.
My bowls with friezes are inspired by ancient pots. They are challenging forms, as they change properties depending on the position of the friezes. The frieze is modelled onto the thrown piece, then formed using my own stamps and finally I scrape the friezes free. There are many hours of work in this process; the level of waste is high, because the relatively thin body is manipulated in many ways and then fired to the very melting point of the clay.
I fire my electrical kiln to around 1210° C until the clay crystallizes and melts body and glaze into one body. Reduction is quite heavy all the way to maximum temperature, which makes the clay very dark. Reduction is done with resinous wood. To add depth and intensity many pieces are glaze burnt several times.
Ulla Hansen •
Ahornvej 15 •
DK 8240 Risskov •
Tel: +45 8616 6218; •
Mobil: +45 22344067 •
email: ulla (at) icnet.dk
Resinous wood in kiln during reduction
Garden outside workshop in summer
Workshop Photo; post-wheel work making bowl with frieze
