Kirsi Kivivirta & Bente Skjøttgaard

November 6, 2024 | 5:30-7:00pm

HB381 Gallery

We invite our members to a private viewing of the exhibition of porcelain wall works and ceramic sculptures by the artists Kirsi Kivivirta (Finnish, b. 1959) and Bente Skjøttgaard (Danish, b. 1961) at HB381 Gallery. Please RSVP below in order to attend.

This exhibition offers a study in the mutability of the physical world: its dynamic forces, its formal structure, and its underlying tension between complexity and dissolution.

In the ceramic constructions of Bente Skjøttgaard, we see the slow alchemy of minerals and glazes combined in the high-temperature crucible of the kiln. Her subjects emerge from loose, gestural coils and slabs of clay, which are left deliberately unglazed in places. Captured in medias res, they take on the cursory appearance of a process unfolding, a sketch, erased, drawn over, and reworked. Frequently, Skjøttgaard foregrounds the capacity of clay to exhibit opposing qualities — strength and elasticity, density and weightlessness, impressionability and durability — in sculptures based upon the structures of cloud typologies, the bonds between carbon atoms, or as here, arboreal growth and decay.

In contrast, Kivivirta’s tiled porcelain mosaics probe the edges of optical perception. Situated in the crepuscule of near-monochrome black and white, a place of shadows and indistinct recognition, it takes a moment for the eyes to adjust. Subtler chromatic tones seep through, suffusing each precisely carved tile with an echo, a vaporous charcoal gray or umber that recalls the earth and the over 2000° C furnace of the kiln. Kivivirta’s imagery, likewise, is soft, somnolent, and familiar, composed of welcome elementary forms that feel both primal yet inconspicuous. The eye wanders across the porcelain surfaces, probing their outlines: the upright circle of a rounded seat or the open form of a vessel, perhaps a rudimentary bucket left out to gather rainwater; a toppled cylinder; a tunnel passing through a rising bluff; the taut skin of a drum pricked by infinitesimal vibrations.

Kirsi Kivivirta

Kivivirta graduated from the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, Finland in 1985 after receiving her training in ceramic production at the Arabia Ceramic Factory. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including in solo exhibitions at the Mark Rothko Art Center in Daugavpils, Latvia, the Kunsthalle Helsinki, and the Adamson-Ericu Museum in Tallinn. In addition, her work has been included in exhibitions at the Kunsthall Grenland, the Gustavsberg Porcelain Museum, the CLAY Museum of Ceramic Art Denmark, and the Yingge Ceramics Museum. She has completed site-specific installations at the Annantalo Arts Centre and numerous schools, and has been recognized with grants and scholarships from the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Greta and William Lehtinen Fund, the Swedish Culture Fund, and a Cross of Merit from the Order of the Lion of Finland.

Bente Skjøttgaard

Skjøttgaard attended the Kolding Design School and Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Her work has been exhibited at the Vejen Art Museum, Holstebro Kunstmuseum, Musée Fabre, and the Trapholt Art Museum. Her sculptures are in the collection of numerous institutions, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Musée National de Céramique de Sévres, the Designmuseum Danmark, and the Annie & Otto Johs. Detlefs Collection. Skjøttgaard is the recipient of awards including the Grosserer L. F. Foghts Fund, the Design Foundation Award, the Arts and Crafts Prize of 1879, and the Exhibition Award of Charlottenborg.

Hostler Burrows HB381 Gallery in Tribeca

Hostler Burrows was founded in 1998 by Juliet Burrows and Kim Hostler. Initially dedicated solely to Nordic design and decorative arts, the gallery has expanded its program and now integrates a full roster of contemporary artists, both established and emerging, with historical works. While international in scope, the gallery’s primary focus remains in Scandinavia and rooted in the tradition of studio ceramics, particularly work by female artists.

Now with Design Galleries in Los Angeles and New York on 10^th street, Hostler Burrows HB381 Gallery in Tribeca -serves as a dedicated space for solo artist presentations, focusing on contemporary Nordic sculpture and ceramics.

The gallery is devoted to exhibiting work imbued with the qualities from which it has drawn inspiration since its beginnings – craftsmanship, intention, and integrity. Hostler Burrows’ unique vision and deep understanding of the sublime design which emerged from Scandinavia in the 20th Century carry over and inform the contemporary work which is brought to market with passion and a critical eye.

Hostler Burrows’ carefully curated spaces, both in the gallery and at the world’s leading fairs, have placed them at the forefront of the design market and introduced an international clientele to a new generation of important artists whose works, while often cutting edge, maintain a strong continuity with the past.

Details:

️️Wednesday, November 6, 2024 | 5:30-7:00pm

Location: HB381 Gallery: 381 Broadway, New York, NY 10013

️Tickets: Event is free for members of the American Scandinavian Society