Pottery artists invited everyone to visit them in their workshops on the second weekend of March. People have the possibility not only to admire and buy handmade pottery, but also to talk to the artists themselves and to learn a lot about their work. Many of them also offer workshops where one can learn and make their own pottery items. This is a great occasion to understand what kind of pottery you like and you would like to learn as well.
Who follows my blog for a while, knows I love the ‘Open Ateliers’ during summer. Every time I am in Germany, I follow that event. This year I found out there is an ‘Open Pottery Workshops’-event. Last weekend we went around to see a few.
The ‘Open Pottery Workshops’ is a nationwide event, not only in one restricted region. So literally there are hundreds and hundreds open in whole Germany. I didn’t even know that so many pottery artists exist. We chose five in all, two in Hamburg and three in Schleswig-Holstein.
The first day we went an afternoon to Hamburg to see the pottery workshops of Nana König Design and Karin Pralow. Both are situated in a little village called Moordeich right to the Hamburg harbor area. The village has beautiful old houses, a little church and seems to be very idyllic.
Both of them have a different way of pottery. Nana König has a very fine and delicate design for household items like plates, mugs, vases and fine decorations. Many of her items are made with paper porcelain (clay mixed with shredded paper or other fibers which make a very lightweight and strong material).
Karin Pralow’s Keramikwerkstatt Die Tongrube instead has a funny view for garden decoration. Her little figures are dragons, obese woman in swimsuits, garden fence toppers or funny interpretations of parasol stands.
After this we went to Schwarzenbek which is halfway between Lübeck and Lauenburg, my usual way I go when I visit a friend in Lauenburg. Here Christel Brumme has her workshop Töpferei LebensKunst. She is definitely the one I liked most. She has such an inspiring garden, full of the most beautiful, funny decoration ever. I love her birdfeeders! But also her garden figures are colorful and a humoresque view of life. I would love to do a workshop with her.
The next day we went to Husum for the crocus blossom in the castle grounds. But on the way back we visited a workshop in Friedrichstadt. The little town is famous for its roses in spring and summer in the old cobbled streets but we wanted to see the art of Maria Ziaja. Her workshop TonAlto is dedicated to the most beautiful blue I have ever seen. She makes utilitarian pottery and uses only three colors: the incredible light blue, a kind of beige and some grey (if I remember well). Have a look at her cataloge to get an idea. Her husband seems to be an artist as well and makes very particular sculptures.
The last one we visited, was Anne Hümme of the Töpferei Hümme in the stork village Bergenhusen. I do have a friend there but I didn’t meet her, no time and especially because I was with a bunch of friends. She also produces utilitarian pottery, more a rustic style, great for country houses and typical for the northern part of the country, in my opinion.
I enjoyed every single pottery workshop for the work but also for the really nice talks we had with the artists.
Schleswig-Holstein/Germany:
For further information:
Here is a list who is participating nationwide at the Tag der offenen Töpferei (in German)
