MARI SIMMULSON. A vase, model 4140, Upsala Ekeby, 1954.

Earthenware, interior striped decor. Model 4140. Signed. Height 19 cm. Width 15 cm.

Mari Simmulson (1911-2000) was a prominent Estonian-Swedish artist, ceramist, painter and textile artist with a long artistic career. After completing her baccalaureate in 1930, she continued her artistic education at the Tallinn State Art Trade School in 1931—1935. During her education, she specialized in ceramics, a medium for which she would later become best known.

In 1937 Mari got an internship at Arabia in Helsinki, Finland, where she worked in the factory's art department. In the autumn of 1944, Mari Simmulson came to Sweden and ended up at Gustavsberg Porslinsfabrik, where Tyra Lundgren helped her meet Wilhelm Kåge. Kåge hired her as an artist at Gustavsberg Studio, where she was allowed to create freely in stoneware clay.

After her time at Gustavsberg Porslinsfabrik, Mari Simmulson became employed at Upsala-Ekeby AB in Uppsala in 1949 and continued until the factory was closed down in 1972. Her time at Upsala-Ekeby was characterised by versatility and creativity, and she created an impressive variety of ceramic objects, including vases, figurines, reliefs and wall tiles.

Her work at Upsala-Ekeby included figures and sculptures that often portrayed women and animals, with many of them featuring an exotic and colorful design. She became known for using a wide palette of colors and glazes, which gave her works a unique and vibrant aesthetic.

Mari Simmulson continued working in ceramics and design during her career, even after leaving Upsala-Ekeby in 1972. She had commissions for Deco in Helsingborg, Gefle Porslinsfabrik and Karlskrona Porslinsfabriker, and she also created textile prints for NK department stores, among others.