Kristin Antonsen - Ceramist

Kristin Antonsen is a ceramic artist with a studio at Kulturfabrikken in Mandal. Since 2006, she has been shaping clay through modeling and slab techniques. Her works often explore humorous or imaginative themes, existing on the border between functional forms and sculptural expression. Her style is precise and deliberate, while the titles of her works are playful and often based on linguistic twists or interpersonal relationships.

Antonsen aims to entertain, surprise, and tell stories. The clay’s willingness to be shaped, impressed, built, and assembled piece by piece gives her a three-dimensional language rich with possibilities. The material demands concentrated collaboration and invites continuous challenges and deeper acquaintance.

Each unique form is rolled out, built, and modeled before it is dried and fired for the first time, then colored with glazes and oxides before being fired again at high temperatures. If a detail of burnished gold is to be included on the balloons, houses, or other sculptural works, an extra firing is required before it can receive its final approval. Other sculptures incorporate parts or details made from entirely different materials. For example, the floating ceramic balloons are not complete until a string with a small “readymade” figure is tied on. This is when they become a “balloon adventure” — a story of a journey.

Kristin Antonsen is a member of the Norwegian Crafts Association (MNK) and has received several grants for her work. She is featured in several international books on ceramics and is represented in galleries across Norway. Many of her works have found homes in private collections, while others adorn public spaces.