Björk Haraldsdóttir: Maker in Focus

Bjork Haraldsdóttir is a ceramic artist with a background in architecture, originally from Iceland and now based in the UK. She studied at the Glasgow School of Art and worked with leading architectural practices, including Richard Rogers’ studio. Her ceramic practice remains rooted in architectural thinking, exploring structure, surface, and rhythm.

Each piece is hand-built using slabs of stoneware clay, shaped into sculptural forms and finished with monochrome slip in carefully drawn geometric patterns. Her work investigates the balance between control and material instinct. There is often an ambiguity in the pieces caused by the drape of the pattern over the form, she says. A single shape can appear entirely different depending on the direction and grain of the pattern, creating tension and visual dialogue between surface and volume.

Inspired by Icelandic folklore and the stark winter landscape, her work often carries quiet references to home – lava fields under snow, woven patterns, or fragments of story. She designs in series, allowing the work to build a conversation between forms. The restricted palette strengthens the relationship between pattern and form, creating sculptural pieces that are both contemplative and bold.

She is a member of the Craft Potters Association and exhibits widely across the UK. Her work has appeared at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, selected by Grayson Perry, and is held in both public and private collections.