Designer – Berndt Friberg

Of many described as the master of Swedish ceramics and one of the most appreciated ceramic designers in Sweden. The ceramist Berndt Friberg started his first employment at Gustavsberg in 1934 and began as a “turner” for the artistic leader Wilhelm Kåge. Friberg’s efforts came to be a boost for Gustavsberg and from 1934 a notable increase in quality of Kåge’s art goods can be noted. From 1937 Friberg also turned to Stig Lindberg. At first, Friberg does not appear to have had any artistic ambitions of his own. His debut came in 1941 when he exhibited as an independent potter. The first separate exhibition was presented at NK in Stockholm in 1954 and became a public success.

Friberg’s unique talent meant being able to both design objects and then turn and glaze them. The result was pieces of various sizes, ranging from thumbnails, where the smallest were no higher than a few centimeters, to large floor vases. The shapes were classic with inspiration from the Chinese stoneware from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). He constantly refined the shapes and became a master of glazes. The early glazes were matte, so-called har fur glazes and later in the 1960s came the glossy glazes like “ox blood” and “aniara”. During 1957-58 Friberg started working with different designs in the glaze and they were often strictly geometric.