Autumn Hrubý discovered the delicate ceramic work of Lena Willhammar while having dinner at Daniel Berlin’s restaurant in Sweden. Each dish was framed in white porcelain, or placed in circular hollow objects, and together the food and ceramics became a work of art. The next morning, following Daniel’s directions, Autumn drove the thirty miles of coastline and countryside to Lena’s studio. The visit was a success, and when Hesperios opened its flagship store in the spring of 2018, Lena’s ceramics were the natural choice to supply the kitchen.

A recent interview follows, as well as photos from Autumn’s original trip.

Hesperios

What form did your early training take? Why did you choose ceramics as your medium?

Lena Willhammar

At art school in Stockholm my first education was in oil and textiles, but this didn’t work out too well so I went over to ceramics. With ceramics you have to be very fast but you have to be soft, and I like working with this difference. Also, I like the way you really have to choose ceramics—you have to say, “Now I want to do this, and I’ll never give up.”

Hesperios

What are you working on now?

Willhammar

Mostly I’m working on plates for Daniel Berlin’s restaurant. Sometimes I have an idea in my head, and then I sit at the wheel and make the form. Once I have the initial shape, I do the casting — slip casting is the pro- cess I use. My work happens slowly. Daniel knows it takes a lot of time.

Hesperios

How do you strike that balance between functionality and aesthetics?

Willhammar

For me, the aesthetic comes first. But then I work on the functionality with Daniel’s restaurant.

Hesperios

Have you had any surprise successes in your work? Have there been any surprise failures?

Willhammar

Yes, often!

Hesperios

Because the kilning process is uncertain?

Willhammar

Yes. Some ceramics simply crash in the kiln, but you have to never give up. You have to do it another way, and another way, and another way — I like to work with these questions and difficulties. You have to find a new process to help the ceramic survive in the kiln. Working with casting, I do the whole form by myself, I do each stage. It’s a slow art.

Hesperios

In this edition of Hesperios we have an interview with chef, Claus Meyer. At the start of the interview he describes bread as the “foun- dation of modern civilization.” What comes to mind when you think of the foundation of civilization?

Willhammar

Well, you must have something to put the food in, of course!