Torbjørn Kvasbø (Norwegian, b. 1953) is an internationally acclaimed ceramic artist, with a career spanning several decades. Kvasbø’s practice challenges and pushes his own personal boundaries, as well as the physical possibilities of the medium. In his ongoing Stacked series, he reimagines the archetypical form of the vessel, creating upwardly spiraling sculptures from stacked tubes of extruded clay, often on a monumental scale. In the artist’s words, “My work process in the medium of clay offers a lot of resistance, and it reveals to me the forces over which I have no control – the incalculable elements of my inner being. My emotions and feelings are physically discharged into the work, and they become actual experiences themselves.” Through this transference of energy into the material, Kvasbø continues in the centuries-old tradition of the artist as alchemist.
Torbjørn Kvasbø lives and works in Venabygd, Norway. He was Head of the Ceramics Department at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden from 1996-2000, and Head of the Ceramic and Glass Department at Konstfack, Stockholm, Sweden from 2000-2008. His work has been exhibited extensively, including solo exhibitions at institutions throughout the world. Kvasbø is represented in the permanent collections of Designmuseum Danmark, Copenhagen; Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden; The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway; The National Museum of Decorative Arts, Trondheim, Norway; The Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg, Sweden; Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu Ceramics-Park Mino, Gifu, Japan; Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche, Faenza, Italy; Musée National Adrien Dubouché, Limoges, France; Lillehammer Art Museum, Norway; KODE Art Museums of Bergen, Norway; Icheon World Ceramic Center, Icheon, South Korea; and the Auckland Museum Institute, Auckland, New Zealand, among many others.
TORBJØRN KVASBØ
Norwegian, b. 1953
MEMBERSHIPS
2018-2024 President of the International Academy of Ceramics
2014-2020 Vice President of the International Academy of Ceramics
2005-2014 Member of the Council of the IAC
1990 Member of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC)
1978 Norwegian Association of Arts and Crafts
EDUCATION
1975-1978 Bergen School of Applied Arts (Bergen Academy of Art and
Design), Norway
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020 Taoxichuan Museum, Jingdezhen, China
2019 GICB2019, Korea. Sept. 27.-Nov. 24.
2018 The Byre, Ringebu Parsonage (Fjøset, Ringebu Prestegard)
2017 The Byre, Ringebu Parsonage (Fjøset, Ringebu Prestegard)
Kunsthall Grenland, Porsgrunn, Norway
2013 Lillehammer Art Museum, Lillehammer Norway
Drammen Art Museum, Drammen Norway
2010 Kunstnerforbundet, Oslo, Norway
2009 Trøndelag Centre for Contemporary Art, Trondheim, Norway
Gallery Zink, Lillehammer, Norway
2005 Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Oslo, Norway
2004 West Norway Museum of Decorative Arts, Bergen, Norway
Kunstbanken, Hamar Norway
2003 Bomuldsfabriken Art Hall, Arendal, Norway
2001 MIC, Museum of International Ceramics, Faenza, Italy
Galerie DM Sarver, Paris, France
Gallery Inger Molin, Stockholm, Sweden
2000 Kunstnerforbundet, Oslo Norway
1998 Gallery Björnen, Stockholm, Sweden
1997 Gallery Nørby, Copenhagen, Denmark
1995 Main Street Gallery, Napa, California, USA
1994 Leedy-Voulkos Gallery, Kansas City, MO, USA
The Works Art Festival, Edmonton, Canada
1993 Kunstnerforbundet, Oslo, Norway
Hordaland Art Centre, Bergen, Norway
Gallery Nørby, Copenhagen, Denmark
1992 Hopkins Hall Gallery, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
1991 The Works Art Festival, Edmonton, Canada
1990 Blås och Knåda, Stockholm, Sweden
National Museum of Decorative Arts, Trondheim, Norway
1987 Hordaland Art Centre, Bergen, Norway
1986 Kunstnerforbundet, Oslo, Norway
1985 National Museum of Decorative Arts, Trondheim, Norway
NATIONAL JURIED COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION
1977-2000,
2012 “The Annual Exhibition of Norwegian Crafts,” Norway
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 Gallery Format, Nomad Venice, Italy
Museum Angewandte Kunst, “House of Norway” Frankfurt am
Main, Germany
SKMU Kristiansand
Officine Saffi, Morfologia delle Meraviglie, Italy
Porselensmuseet Porsgrunn. Jan. 17.-March 17.
KODE Bergen May 10.-Sept. 15.
2018 Sevres Ceramic Museum, Paris. Sept. 23.-April 1.
About Clay, Exhibition of European Ceramic Art in Fiskars, Finland
2017 4th Documentary Exhibition of Fine Arts/ Stress Field.
Hubei Museum of Art, Hubei, China
Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale (GICB2017), Rep. of
Korea
2016 Officine Saffi, Milano, Italy. “Geometry of Chaos”.
Carlo Zauli-Torbjørn Kvasbø
Liling Ceramics Valley Museum “The Mode-Int. Ceramics Art
Invitational”, China
Hangzhou Int. ContemporaryCeramic Art Biennale, China
“Inspired”, The Scandinavian Center/TaoXicuang Museum
Jingdezhen, China
International Trade Fair in Munich, “Modern Masters”
2015 International Wood-Firing Festival, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts,
Kina
“Beyond G(l)aze, KODE2, Bergen Norway
“Transformator”, Galleri Format, Oslo Norway
“Transformator”, Hydrogenfabrikken Fredrikstad, Norway
2014 SOFA, Chicago, USA
“Transformator”. Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall, Arendal, Norway
European Ceramic Context, Bornholm, Denmark
“Attention: Craft”, Liljevalchs, Stockholm, Sweden
Beyond G(l)aze, Jinji Lake Art Museum, Suzhou, China
2013 Revelations, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
2013 “Collect”, Saatchi Gallery, London, Great Britain
2012 “Collect”, Saatchi Gallery, London, Great Britain
”Less Colour”, Rogaland Art Centre, Stavanger, Norway
2011 “Collect”, Saatchi Gallery, London, Great Britain
2010 “Le Cru et le Cuit” Galerie Favardin & De Verneuil, Paris, France
“Clay Energy Gulgong”, Masters Exhibition, Cudgegong Gallery,
Gulgong, NSW, Australia
“Collect”, Saatchi Gallery, London, Great Britain
“Intonation”, Deidesheim, Germany
“Taiwan Ceramics Biennale”, Yingge Ceramics Museum, Yingge,
New Taipei City, Taiwan
2009 “British Ceramic Biennial”, Airspace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent,
Great Britain
“Cheongju International Craft Biennale“, Cheongju, South Korea
“Intonation“, Deidesheim, Germany
“Tendenser 2009”, Gallery F15, Moss, Norway
2007 “Terres Extremes”, Maison de la Ceramique Contemporaine,
Giroussens, France:
Museu del Càntir d´Argentona, Barcelona, Spain
Keramik-Museum Westerwald, Germany
2005 “Typical Norwegian?”, Vigeland-Museet Oslo, Norway; Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany
2005 ”Strata“, Skulpturens Hus, Stockholm, Sweden
2004 “Norwegen heute-keramisch“, Hetjens-Museum, Düsseldorf,
Germany
2003 “NOW&NOW”, World Ceramic Biennale 2003, Icheon,
South Korea
2002 “Keramik aus Norwegen“, Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany
2001 “Fifty Years of the Archie Bray Influence”, Holter Museum of Art,
MT, USA
“1st World Ceramic Biennale 2001”, Icheon, South Korea
“The 52st Int. Ceramic Art Competition”, Faenza, Italy
2000 “Ceramic Circus 2000”, Les Printemps des Poties, Bandol, France
“Norwegian Alternatives”, IADB-Cultural Center,
Washington D.C., USA
“Sidney Myer International Ceramic Award”, Shepparton Art
Museum, Shepparton VIC, Australia
1999 “The 51st International Ceramic Art Competition”, Faenza, Italy
“Norwegian Contemporary Ceramics”, Millenium Symposium,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
“Different Stokes”, Invitational Exhibition, University of Iowa,
University Heights, IA, USA
1998 “Stars”, Galleri Inger Molin, Stockholm, Sweden
“The Fletcher Challenge Award”, Auckland War Memorial
Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
“Ceramic Art 1988-1998”, Danmarks Keramikmuseum
Grimmerhus, Middelfart, Denmark
“Nordic Ceramic Triennale ´98”, The Swedish History Museum,
Stockholm, Sweden
“Sweden-Norway-Expo Lära”. Västerås Art Museum,Västerås,
Sweden
1997 ”Ceramic Expressionism. 7 Norwegian Ceramicist”. Danmarks Keramikmuseum Grimmerhus, Middelfart, Denmark
1997 Archie Bray Foundation NCECA, Green Valley Library Gallery,
Las Vegas, NV, USA
“The Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award”, Award of Merit,
Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
1996 “Resident Artist Exhibition”, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT,
USA
“Scandinavian Images”, University of Durham, Durham,
Great Britain
“Italy-Norway”, Centro Esposivito della Rocca Paolina, Perugia,
Italy
Museum voor Sierkunst, Gent, Belgium
Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe, Germany
“Neue Wege International”, Saarländisches Künstlerhaus,
Saarbrücken, Germany
“Woodfired Ceramics”, Loes and Rainier International Ceramics,
Deventer, The Netherlands
1995 “The Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award”, Auckland War
Memorial Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
“Woodstack”. The Gallery of Visual Arts, University of Montana,
Missoula, MT, USA
“NCECA Clay National ´95”, F.R.Weisman Art Museum,
Minneapolis, MN, USA
1994-96 “Nordic Images”, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Oslo,
Norway;
Helsinki Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Finland;
Nationalmuseum; Stockholm, Sweden: Museum of Decorative Art
and Design;
Copenhagen, Denmark: Röhsska Museum of Decorative Arts
and Design,
Gothenburg, Sweden: West Norway Museum of Decorative Art,
Bergen, Norway: National Museum of Decorative Arts,
Trondheim, Norway
1994 “Fire Men: Masters of the Anagama Kiln”, Leedy-Voulkos Gallery,
Kansas City, MO, USA
“The Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award”, Auckland War
Memorial Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
“In Touch”, international contemporary crafts, part of the Cultural
Programme of the XVII Olympic Winter Games 1994, Maihaugen,
Lillehammer, Norway
1993 “Mastermeeting”, Ringebu Workshop 1993. Museum of Decorative
Arts and Design, Oslo, Norway
Pulverturm am Schlosswall, Artothek in der Peterstrasse,
Oldenburg, Germany.
“The Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award”, Judges Commendation,
Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
1992 “Hot Clay from Cold Climates”, North Project, Art Evo Gallery,
Edmonton, Canada
1990-92 “Contemporary Norwegian Ceramics”, touring exhibition,
Keramion, Frechen; Germany: Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin;
Germany: Schloss Gottorf, Schleswig;
Germany: Polytechnic Gallery, Newcastle;
Great Britain: Aberystwyth Arts Centre,
Aberystwyth, Great Britain: Crafts Council;
Dublin, Ireland: Arts Council Gallery, Belfast, Ireland;
World Expo, Sevilla, Spain;
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY, USA;
National Museum of Ceramic Art, Baltimore, MD, USA
1991 “47. Concorso Internazionale Della Ceramica D`arte”, Faenza, Italy
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Arts Council Norway
Auckland Museum Institute, Auckland, New Zealand
Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, MO, USA
Designmuseum Danmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
Drammens Museum
Dr. Anthony Rucela Collection, Kansas City, MO, USA
Dr. Hans Thiemann Collection, Hamburg Germany
Icheon World Ceramic Center, Icheon, South Korea
KODE Art Museums of Bergen, Norway
Leedy-Voulkos Gallery, Kansas City, MO, USA
Lillehammer Art Museum, Norway
Lotte Reimers Stiftung Kunstzentrum, Deidesheim, Germany
Maurice Lambiotte Collection, Paris, France
Musée National Adrien Dubouché, Limoges, France
Mr. And Mrs. Inge Münz Collection, Saarbrücken, Germany
Mr. and Mrs. William Van Keppel Collection, Kansas City, MO, USA
Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche, Faenza, Italy
Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu Ceramics-Park Mino, Gifu, Japan
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden
Norges Bank, London, Great Britain
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
Oppland County, Norway
Riksgalleriet, The National Touring Exhibitions of Norway
Ringebu Municipality, Norway
The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway
The National Museum of Decorative Arts, Trondheim, Norway
The Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg, Sweden
Trondheim Municipality, Norway
Swedish Art Council, Sweden
SKMU Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, Kristiandsand, Norway
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
2008-2011 External examiner Royal College of Art, London, Great Britain
2000-2008 Professor and Head of Ceramics & Glass Departement at Konstfack
– University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm, Sweden
1996-2000 Professor and Head of Ceramic Art Departement at HDK –
School of Design and Crafts, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
1998 Judge of the Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award, Auckland,
New Zealand
1985 Guest teacher, external examiner for diploma and special subject
examinations, member of boards, member of appoinment boards
for lectures/professors, Oslo
National Academy of Arts and Bergen Academy of Art and Design,
Norway
LECTURER, GUEST ARTIST, EXHIBITOR, JURY, INTERNATIONAL ADVISER, WORKSHOP CONDUCTOR
Silica Triennial, Kecskemèt, Hungary
60 Faenza Prize, MIC Faenza, Italy.
Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale 2017, Korea
Event Clay Gulgong, Australia
Casa dell`Architettura, Rome, Italy
2010 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale, New Taipei City, Taiwan
British Ceramic Biennial 2009, Marl Hole project, Stoke-on-Trent, Great Britain
Intonation, Deidesheim, Germany
Central Academy of Fine Art, CAFA, Beijing, China
Peters Valley Crafts Centre, Layton,, NJ, USA
Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Cheongju, South Korea
Naori Wood Fired Ceramics, KO-EURO, South Korea
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
San Jose State University, SAN Jose, CA, USA
San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, IL, USA
Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, CA, USA
Napa Valley College, CA, USA
Iowa University, Iowa City, IA, US.
Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT, USA
Montana University, Missoula, MT, USA
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO, USA
University of Ohio, Athens, OH, USA
Red Deer College, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
“The Works Visual Arts Festival”, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Alberta University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Banff Centre for the Arts, Alberta, Canada
“NCECA”, Tempe, Arizona, AZ, USA
“NCECA”, Philadelphia, PA, USA
“NCECA”, New Orleans, LA, USA
University of Industrial Arts, Helsinki, Finland
Konstfack College of Art, Stockholm, Sweden
Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
Kolding College of Applied Arts, Kolding, Denmark
Kecskemét International Ceramics Studio, Kecskemét, Hungary
Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award, Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland Studio Potters Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
Clay-Sculpt Gulgong, Janet Mansfield, Gulgong, NSW, Australia
“The Edge”, Perth, WA, Australia
“Cotta terra”, Perugia, Italy
Faenza, Italy
“Les Printemps des Poitiers”, Bandol, France
“Recontres La Borne”, La Borne, France
Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern, Munich, Germany
World Ceramic Biennale, South Korea
The Sculptor Factory, Jingdezhen, China
SELECTED AWARDS
2017 Grand Prize at the Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale
(GICB2017), Rep. of Korea
2012 Prize for best art work, The Annual Exhibition of Arts and Crafts
2012, Norway
2010 Janet Mansfield Fellowship Award, Australia
2009 The Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts Honourable Prize
Ringebu Municipality Culture Prize
2008 Villeroy & Boch Gustavsberg ceramics grant.
2001 Silver Prize, 1st World Ceramic Biennale 2001 (GICB2001),
Rep. of Korea
1999 Premio Faenza, 1. prize in the 51. Premio Faenza
Concorso Internationale, Italy
1997 Embryo 1997, awarded for the best art education in Sweden
Award of Merit, Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award, New Zealand
1995 The Gudbrandsdalen Cultural Award
1993 Judge´s Commendation, Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award,
New Zealand
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
1992, Kvasbø, Torbjørn: “Don’t ever get a steady job”, in Ceramics Monthly,
April issue, pp. 41-48
1993, Danbolt, Gunnar: “Between Nature and Civilisation. Ceramic Art of
Torbjørn Kvasbø”, in Ceramics: Art & Perception, no. 13, pp. 3-7, 89-91.
1996, Broadwell, Carolyn: “Torbjørn Kvasbø”, in Ceramic Art magazine, no. 10,
pp.84-89. (Taiwan)
1999, Veiteberg, Jorunn: “Torbjørn Kvasbø”, in Kvasbø, Torbjørn and Veiteberg,
Jorunn (eds.), 1999: Norwegian Contemporary Ceramics, exhib. cat., Amsterdam
under Ceramic Millenium: Leadership Congress for the Ceramic Arts, pp. 30-31.
2000, Dewald, Gabi: “Ich habe keine Angst”, in Keramik Magazin no. 1,
pp. 24-30.
2000, Andreani, Carole: ”Torbjørn Kvasbø – Une dramaturgie de l`homme et de
la nature”, in Revue Ceramique et du Verre, no. 113, July-August, pp. 34-39.
2000, Brühl, Birgit: “Der Norweger Torbjørn Kvasbø”, in Neue Keramik no. 5
Sept/Oct., pp 270-271.
2000, Minogue, Coll and Sanderson, Robert: Wood-fired Ceramics
Contemporary Practices, London: A & B Black, pp. 78-80.
2001, Jonson, Lotta: ”The Universe of Clay”, in Form no. 4, pp. 62-67.
2003, Torbjørn Kvasbø – ceramics, catalogue, Arendal: Bomuldsfabriken
Kunsthall.
2004, Dewald, Gabi: „Über das Unbezähmbare“, in Keramik magazin, no. 2,
pp. 22-25.
2004, Veiteberg, Jorunn: “Making the invisible visible”, in Kunsthåndverk, no. 91,
1/2004, pp. 22-23.
2004, Stensman, Mailis: „Brandens mästare“, in Konsthantverk, no. 2, pp. 30-35.
2007, Sempere, Emili: Arnold Annen. Una exposició extraordinària, in Revista
Cerámica Contemporania no 31, pp 72-75.
2007, Lambiotte, Maurice and Andrèani, Carole: Contemporary Pottery:
Collection Maurice Lambiotte, Paris: Norma, pp. 134-137.
2008, Battle, Michel: “Terres Extremes”, in Ceramics Monthly vol. 55, April,
pp. 20-22
2010, Harrod Tanya. “The everyday and the numinous”. Contemporary British
studio ceramics : the Grainer Collection, redigert av Annie Carlano, 11-30.
New Haven: Yale University Press.
2013, Jorunn Veiteberg and Kerstin Wickman: “Torbjørn Kvasbø Ceramics –
Between the Possible and the Impossible”. Arnoldsche Art Publishers.
ISBN 978-3-89790-384-5
