Childlike patterns
A multitude of black patterns and decorations on colored fields. Plaster blocks of various sizes, some square, some rectangular. Together they form a square surface. The picture is small, but there is much going on here.
Main content
The middle square of the image is in burgundy, and several of the smaller squares that surround it have the same color. It constitutes a main theme, which is challenged by fields of orange, brown, blue and beige. Unevenly drawn circles, zigzag patterns and flowing lines guides our gaze around the picture plane. The naive, childlike line is balanced with sophistication by the meticulous placement of the plaster blocks. The result is a dynamic work that exceeds its modest proportions.
Ruth Bryk (1916-1999) was a Finnish ceramic designer. Early in her career she created colorful, naive bowls, plates and tiles, often with everyday motifs. In the 1960s she began to produce mosaic-like pieces composed of tiles. With this technique, she has also made decorations for the official presidential residence in Finland. Bryk has received numerous awards, including the grand prix at the Milan Triennale in 1951, and in 1972 she won the international ceramics competition in Vallauris.
NORA SØRENSEN VAAGE