NJ: I never really believed I could sustain being an artist because it took me quite some time to grasp the different career possibilities I could have after graduation. In retrospect, I value the fact that I had to figure it out by myself, as I realized that as a student, I was in a safe, protected bubble during the COVID years. I understood that I would be responsible for my own career after finishing my master’s degree.

After graduating (in 2021) I soon found this studio (Klumpen Keramikk) that I now rent with my friend, artist Tonje Paus. I am represented by QB Gallery and supported by the Norwegian artist grant, which allows me to support myself fully. It gives me more time to focus on my practice, without having to deal with self-promotion and selling works. Even after finishing school, I am learning what I can do with the materials in my own practice. I feel that I am getting more skilled in ceramics, exploring glazing, underglazing, ceramic crayons and the effects I can achieve with experimentation.

KS: You mentioned exploring materials in your practice, which seems to me very integral to your artistic expression; why are ceramics your creative medium of choice? Is there something in this medium that limits you? What does it allow you?

NJ: Working with ceramic is very time consuming, and for me it is very important to work quickly. That is also why I make smaller pieces. For the bigger ones, it is important to let them dry at least partially so they become more stable and keep the shape as they tend to extend sideways and aren’t able to resist gravity well. It is more annoying when you put all your effort into a piece and it doesn’t turn out the way you wanted it to because of the firing in the kiln, the cracks, and so on.

Expanding on that, I initially wanted to do sculpture first; I didn’t want to deal with painting because I felt that other people were better at it than me. I didn’t want to compete in a way. However, before I entered the academy, I came across some Swedish ceramic artists, for example, Joakim Ojanen and Klara Kristalova. Both of these artists express a whole kind of universe within their ceramic works, which inspired me a lot. Now, I feel that through my ceramic practice, I can actually express myself with both a painterly approach as well as a sculptural one.

KS: Considering what is usually taught at art academies in our contemporary times; were you ever insecure about the naïve style attached to your name?

NJ: Well, I didn’t have the ‘craft-making’ skill before I started art school. I applied to a few different academies and didn’t get in actually. I was devastated! I reapplied to many academies, this time for ceramics. I got in for the bachelor studies in Oslo. And I was soon told that my style was too naïve, that is why I was experimenting with my style a lot during my bachelor studies, because I was so eager to find it. But I always wanted my work to have this humoristic note to it as well as the more serious part. In those years, the serious part took over a bit. To be honest, at the academy I was really insecure about it, but when I did come back to it, I felt secure and confident about it. For me there is something serious in my work; I am genuinely intrigued by it myself, which I think is important.

KS: It definitely is. Is there an abstract concept that your works convey? Do you perceive them as very straightforward?

NJ: The abstract part of my work is that I work very intuitively. I don’t make a lot of sketches, or if I do, I just don’t follow them. I never know when I should finish a work, that’s why I leave them quite open – I keep the works as they are and sometimes assemble them together afterward. Sometimes when these connections happen, it just makes sense. That inspires me. I create a work I didn’t predict and that excites me. But I do not deal with the conceptual foundations that much.

KS: To further explore what you have said – your works seem very playful, colorful, light. Pleasing to rest eyes on. What is ‘hard’ about them (perhaps in the process, technique, or your own afterthoughts when the works are finished)?

NJ: It is hard for me to stick to a work, instead of going to the next one. However, the unfinished works come together in surprising ways. Yet, having them laying around in that accumulation stresses me; I am overwhelmed by my own stuff!

KS: It is really time consuming work, because every step of the process takes quite a bit of time. I assume you have to work sporadically because of the technical reasons?

NJ: Yes, I do something here and something there. I can’t stick to one thing and work on it from start to finish. I have to rotate and check everything around simultaneously. And hope that I am still interested in the work when I get back to it!

However, when I am making something I want to create the whole mood of experiencing it – whether it be eating it, using it, just being around it. Not the exact copy; it is the atmosphere that interests me.

KS: That seems essential in your practice – it is the alluring part about it. Your gesture, your fingerprint – it gives it its charm. Moreover, speaking of atmospheres, what is your ideal studio environment - what conditions do you work the best under?

NJ: The best is when I don’t have to do anyting else in the day. No errands, no meeting anybody, nothing. I am time pessimistic, because I always feel I have too little time!

We further discuss Jonsson’s signature use of everyday life motifs, how she established the premises of her practice, where she derives the inspiration for her works. She elaborates further:

NJ: As a child I was very fascinated by mystic stories, fantasy worlds, cartoons – I wanted to create my own universe, mirroring the real-life. I am now able to do it in my own style, not by having a specific narrative. I do not want to give an impression that there is a specific story behind the works, but that the story is very open to subjective interpretations. Ashtrays, a motif I keep coming back to, for example, seem quite nostalgic to Norwegians as smoking has decreased a lot over the years. That kind of works allow bringing the viewer back to a time or a memory that they connect to.

KS: To build up on that, are the motifs always figurative? How do you pick your motifs essentially?

NJ: Yes, they always derive from something tangible; I never try to create abstract works or stick to an abstract concept. Maybe the final form seems a bit abstracted and that doesn’t bother me.

However, I used to work in a Polish restaurant; their cuisine was very strange and different to me, in a very inspiring way. I was exposed to very interesting dishes, and it was very important that the dishes were conceived as compositions on the plates. I felt like they were artists. I was so fascinated.

KS: It seems you sort of internalized elements of that particular culinary approach. In Polish cuisine they tend to sweeten a lot of their dishes – it seems that stuck with you over the years?

NJ: It really does seem that way, actually. Also I see a lot of pastry videos on Instagram – it pushes the limits of social media. You can look at food but never taste it. It seems similar to what I am doing here.

KS: Your works appear to be inviting as they, in majority they resemble edible objects, often sweet, as we mentioned. Because their material nature dissuades participation in what they would normally function for, your works put up a wall of sorts. I would argue that that heightens the desire for them. Through your works, as you depict motifs that usually are transitory, you actually address the disposability of the referent object you transfer into a motif.

NJ: That is true! I also try my best not to throw out pieces, even if they have imperfections such as cracks and creases. I do not seek perfection.

KS: And with that you do actually stick to and defend the critique of the disposability of everyday objects. As this conversation draws to a close; being such a young and successful artist, I am interested in knowing, what is next for you?

NJ: I am attending a residency in Gothenburg during the autumn, where I plan to focus more on painting techniques as I also use them in my ceramic work. As I mentioned, I didn’t feel confident about painting before, but now I do. Going more in-depth with it and focusing on it alone might give me more ideas on how I can work with ceramics and use motifs in the future.

Nellie Jonsson will be part of the Norwegian focus section at Ceramic Brussels in January 2025 as well as doing a solo exhibition at QB Gallery in Oslo in the fall of 2025.

June 2024, Oslo

Interview by Katarina Snoj

Photography by Kari Kjøsnes