Gunnar Nylund - a versatile artist and pioneer
Ceramist and sculptor Gunnar Nylund (1904-1997) was born in Paris, he was son of the Danish painter Fernando Jacobsen and the Swedish/Finnish sculptor Felix Nylund
He was trained as a ceramist in Finland, and studied architecture at the art academy in Copenhagen. He also worked with sculpture at his father’s studio, and the father made him very interested in animal sculptures. An interest he in great style used later. While studying, he worked for the porcelain factory Bing and Grondahl, who hired him in 1925. His mentor was Jean René Gauguin, the son of the French painter Paul Gauguin. He was an inspiration for Nylund, who in the course of a few years produced more than 2,000 unique works.
Soon Nylund established a cooperation with Nathalie Krebs, who came from Royal Copenhagen. The collaboration resulted in the ceramics studio Saxbo, which was innovative in many areas. They produced feldspar-glazed stoneware, it was a series production in high quality. It was new in Scandinavia, and when Rörstrand Porcelain Factory in Sweden learned about the results, they hired Nylund as artistic director.
Nylund worked at the sister factory in Lidkøbing, where he designed tableware and the unique "Flambe" stoneware. Nylund and Rörstrand produced the first Swedish stoneware with feldspar glaze, for instance the harefur glaze, which he had brought from Denmark. At the time Swedish stoneware artists used salt glazes. Alongside Gunnar Nylund produced charmotte animal figures, which also caused a stir and was highly sought after. Later in 1940 came another charmotte Series
In 1955 he became artistic director of Strömbergshyttan Glassworks, where he designed a series of art glass. In 1960 he returned to Denmark to become artistic director of the ceramics factory Nymølle North of Copenhagen, where. he designed and developed the stoneware.. Gunnar Nylund has also worked freelance for Upsala Ekeby . Production from Gunnar Nylund is very large and versatile, and he has inspired many artists and kunsthåndværkerre who came after him.
