Berndt Friberg was a Swedish ceramic artist and potter who was primarily associated with Gustavsberg and its artistic director, Wilhelm Kåge. In 1934 Friberg started working at Gustavsberg, which significantly elevated the quality of Kåge’s art products. Beginning in 1937 Friberg also created pottery for Stig Lindberg. Friberg was uniquely talented as he could design, create and glaze his own pottery. Friberg’s work consists of objects in every size, from miniatures, the smallest of which is no larger than a couple of centimeters, to large floor vases. His classic forms were inspired by the Chinese stoneware from the Song Dynasty. Friberg had his debut as an independent ceramic artist in 1941 when he exhibited at Gustavsberg’s boutique on Birger Jarlsgatan in Stockholm. Friberg subsequently had a highly successful exhibition at Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm in 1954. Friberg continually refined his technique and his shapes, as can clearly be seen in his glazing. Friberg’s early glazed works were matte, but later transitioned to become shiny and by 1957 to 1958 glimpses of patterns, which were often geometric, began to emerge in his glazes.
Items related to Berndt Friberg (1899-1981) Sweden
