Danish ceramicist Anna Bystrup has created a very limited edition of hand thrown teapots for Stilleben in her cozy and atmospheric workspace in Frederiksværk.

Anna Bystrup graduated from the Royal Danish Academy in 2014. We discovered Anna when she was making ceramics in Den Danske Keramikfabrik in Nexø, Bornholm and immediately loved her approach to her art.

She has since dedicated herself to the art of throwing pottery and has an extraordinary degree of mastery in this skill. In her workshop she both creates her own works and makes collaborations and bespoke pieces.

During the process from grabbing the raw clay from the bag to having a finished product thrown and burnt, Anna has had it in her hands somewhere between twenty-five and fifty times in a time span from two to three weeks. There are no shortcuts. Hand thrown ceramics take time and effort - both of which parametres can be seen in the finished work.

Anna tells us about her approach and process:

"All my ceramics are hand thrown on my Shimpo turntable. I weigh the clay and measure it with a folding ruler. For instance each coffee cup weighs 220 grams. But that does not mean that they are exact copies. No two coffees are either."

"Some people walk by the forest or the sea; travel far away - look into their loved ones' eyes and are inspired to new products or colors in their production. Some people spend months testing out glazes and colors. That has never been my process. Things just appear in my head. Sometimes in a dream - sometimes out of nowhere. When they appear they come to life on my turntable, usually within a day or two. I have never been one to be patient."

One in Forty

There is a total of 40 teapots, corresponding exactly with the number of handles we provided.

The bamboo handles for the teapots were found by Stilleben owners Ditte and Jelena on a trip to Tokyo, Japan, years ago and have been waiting for the right time and the right artist. Good things take time - that time is now.

The teapots are numbered and we have carefully labelled and packaged each of the forty teapots in our office space at Stilleben. 

Lovingly handled

Anna Bystrup has glazed the rounded, stoneware teapot in a transparent glaze for a very earthy, tactile feel resonating with the calming ritual of brewing and pouring tea.

The clear edges gives a very precise pouring and the neat throwing and flat lid makes for a comfortable handling of the teapot. Annas mastery of the material is clear in the finished teapots.

You can experience the teapots in our flagship store in Frederiksberggade 22, or in our webshop.