Julie Solberg on Mastering Ceramics

80 % art director, and 20 % ceramist – from a small studio in Oslo’s Torshov neighbourhood, Julie Solberg has put herself on the map this autumn with bright pops of blue. We’ve had a talk with Julie about what inspires her work, and what the future might hold.

Ambi: Hey Julie, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. I thought we'd start out with how you got into ceramics, I believe that your love of the craft was ignited on a trip to Tallinn. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Julie: Thanks for reaching out, it feels like a big compliment for a hobby ceramist. I started with ceramics in late 2018, which was a period of time where I needed to fill my head with something new and calming. I had never tried throwing before, but had an idea that I would both love and master it – as I love a lot of other handicrafts.

My trip to Tallinn as a kid opened my eyes for ceramics, when my mother and I peeked into a studio and got to watch a lady throwing in the midst of her messy, creative workshop. I actually bought a tiny yellow cup, small enough to use as a pendant, that I still have on a shelf in my kitchen today. It is a precious souvenir that has become more valuable with time, especially after I started with ceramics myself.

What is it about ceramics that speaks to you?

It’s about being able to form a material with my hands, having full creativity over the shape, texture, colour and the feel of it. It also involves chemistry, high temperatures, patience, timing, strength, a bit of math and a lot of knowledge, giving me a sense of mastery when managing to make something that both looks nice and has a clear function.

How do you combine your creative ceramist work with your job as an art director? Do they influence each other, or do you try to keep them separate?

Having a full time job and a "jobby" requires a lot of late nights, long days and rarely a full weekend off. But I mean that in a good way, as I get to fill my time with things that I really enjoy. Per now I work 80% as an art director, and spend Wednesdays in the workshop with my ceramics, and that works really well for me.

The two don't influence each other at all actually, and I think that's nice. In that way, I can really keep clear-cut lines between my time in the office and my time in the workshop, giving me good breaks and full focus.

Apart from your work, where do you find inspiration?

The boring answer is Instagram and Pinterest, but I also find inspiration in a lot of different spaces, as in nature's own colours and textures, in cafés and restaurants, art exhibitions and window shopping. I also sometimes go back in my archive and find pictures of my previous work, and try to make it over again with new ideas and tweaks.

You just launched your online shop, how has the reception been? And what is your dream customer?

I'm a bit blown away by the response. The first minutes were a bit chaotic with people texting me saying they tried to purchase something, but then getting a notice about the item being sold out. It was so weird.

My dream customer is a person that already has an interest in arts, interior and design. If that person likes my work, I take it as a huge compliment!

You have some pieces that are true classics, that I can see staying relevant for decades to come. And then you have some pieces that feel very contemporary too, like the Loop and Dott cups with their strong pops of blue. What's your thoughts on trends vs. classics in ceramics?

I definitely like making vessels that I know I can use when I grow old – and have grandkids over for a visit. Even though I make some pieces that have a trendy colour, like the blue ones, I still think they are classic enough to be used for a long time. If I use a colour that is more contemporary, I stick with a timeless shape and vice versa. I tend to make things I really like myself, and not what I think will be popular this autumn.

You have a small studio in Torshov in Oslo. What's a normal day at the studio like for you – and what is it about the neighbourhood you love?

My days vary in terms of what tasks lay ahead, as the process involves a lot of different steps that each take their time. A normal day of throwing might include weighing up 10 lumps of clay in exactly the same weight; kneading them all at least 50 times to release air bubbles from the clay and making it homogeneous; prep all my tools and then sit down at the wheel to throw the 10 lumps into cups. Then I lift them carefully off the wheel and leave them to dry under a plastic sheet for a few days before they are firm enough to trim. The most boring part, which is a mandatory end of every session in the studio, is of course the cleaning. It’s basically clay and dust everywhere.

The thing I really love about having a workshop in Torshov is the proximity to both my office and my home, making it really easy to stop on my way to work to check up on a drying piece or to pick up an order.

Finally, where do you see yourself as a ceramist in a few years? What's your plans going forward?

In a few years, I hope that I'm in the exactly same place. I am really content with how things are at the moment – having time in the studio to create, but not having the pressure of having to make a lot of money from it. Some day in the distant future, I hope I'll be able to have my own studio – and maybe fill more of my days doing ceramics than I am ble to now. But, who knows, by then I might be having grey hair and grown-up kids …

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***Are you interested in purchasing some of Julie’s work? Take a virtual stroll through her*** ***online shop here >***

Words: Lene Haugerud