HANS HEDBERG. Sculpture, egg-shaped, Biot, France, unsigned.

High-fire faience. Height approx. 10.5 cm.

Hans Hedberg was a Swedish ceramist and sculptor born on May 25, 1917 in Köpmanholmen, Nätra parish in Västernorrland county, and died on March 27, 2007 in Biot, Alpes-Maritimes, France. He began his artistic career as a painter and studied at various art schools in Stockholm and internationally. During the 1940s he came into contact with ceramics and trained at the Instituto d'Arte Della Ceramica in Italy.

In 1949 he settled in Biot on the French Riviera, where he established his ceramic studio. His first solo exhibition took place at Galerie Blanche in Stockholm in 1953 and received positive criticism from several art critics. Hedberg is best known for his impressive ceramic sculptures of giant fruits and eggs, and he was known for his unique glazes.

Hans Hedberg's work received international attention, and he was awarded the Grand Prix at the first International Ceramics Biennale in Vallauris, France, in 1968. He also had the opportunity to collaborate with and socialize with famous artists such as Marc Chagall, Picasso, Léger and Matisse.

Hedberg also executed artistic decorations for the French state and created ceramic works for various places. His ceramic creations, especially his characteristic eggs and fruits, are represented in several major private collections and museums around the world. The glazes played a crucial role in defining Hedberg's artistic signature and made his works recognizable.

Despite living in France since 1949, Hans Hedberg often returned to his native Sweden. In 1998, the Hans Hedberg Museum was founded in Örnsköldsvik, which contains an extensive collection of his artworks. He was a significant Swedish artist who made his mark on the international ceramics scene and is known for his exquisite ceramic sculptures of fruit and eggs.