MÅRTEN MEDBO. “Crowd”, sculpture/vase, own studio, signed and dated 2009.

Amorphous form. Stoneware. Height 37 cm.

The 'Crowd' vase appears as a dense, vertical body made up of a multitude of rounded, drop-shaped bulges pressed against and into each other. The cylindrical basic form is almost completely dissolved; instead, the volume consists of a cluster of individual elements that together form a compact whole. Each part appears to have emerged organically, like cells or fruits in a supersaturated structure, giving the object a palpable biomorphic character. Despite the similarity of the repeating module, subtle variations in size and tension exist, breaking any hint of mechanical repetition. The opening is subordinate to the total volume, and the vase's use-value appears secondary to its bodily and almost organically pulsating expression. The form appears to be in a state of ongoing growth, as if at any moment it could continue to expand beyond its current limitation.

Mårten Medbo, born 1964 in Järfälla, is a Swedish ceramist and glass artist, as well as a Doctor of Arts and Crafts. He trained at the Elementary School of Artistic Education from 1985 to 1986 and then at the glass and ceramics line at Konstfack from 1986 to 1992, with an extension in interior design from 1992 to 1993. In 2016 he received his PhD at the University of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg with the thesis 'Clay based experience and linguisticity', where he formulated a theoretical basis for a material-based and experience-driven artistry.

Medbo's practice moves consistently between use and sculpture, between the functional vessel and the expressive object. His turned pottery forms a central part of production, but the traditional form is destabilized by deformations, displacements and radical interventions. The vessels may appear to be frozen in a state of growing or collapse, in which the plasticity of the material becomes visible. Instead of emphasizing harmonic symmetry, he seeks cracks, deviations and excesses. The result is objects that are on the borderland between abstraction and figurative hint, often with biomorphic or anthropomorphic associations without becoming unambiguous.

In parallel with ceramics, glass has been a recurring material. Already during his studies, he learned glassblowing and has collaborated with cabins in the Czech Republic, among others. In glass, he takes an interest in coloured crucible glass, optical effects and the tradition of grinding. In the series' Spine 'for Kosta Boda, he works with red and white overhangs, where the surface is cut up so that the underlying color is exposed. The process is physically tangible and charged, and the result brings thought to body, wounds and exposure. The glass here becomes both sparkling and violent, in contrast to the ceramics which often move towards the heavy and dull.

Medbo's work is characterized by a mobility between expression and context. He avoids locking himself to a uniform style and instead allows change to be a guiding principle. His objects can be perceived as organic structures on the verge of mutation, sometimes closest to disturbing in their physical intensity. Rather than seeking beauty in the traditional sense, he evokes a fascination with the material's own power and with forms that seem to live their own lives. His work is represented in collections such as the National Museum and the Röhsska Museum as well as internationally, and he is active in Stockholm where he combines artistic practice with teaching and continuing theoretical reflection.