Ann Beate Tempelhaug: I should have not used blue?

Ann Beate Tempelhaug transforms large ceramic surfaces into glittering, moody and magnetic landscapes. Often informed by the particular light and majestic landscapes of her native Norway, Tempelhaug cites Norwegian Romantic painting tradition as an important source of inspiration, including the work of Johan Christian Dahl and Edvard Munch. As she writes, “I am, and I think I always have been, very conscious and infected by light. And especially in the past decades I have been very focused on keeping it the most important value in my life and also in my work.”

The challenge of creating an ethereal abstract painting onto a blocky ceramic surface is no small feat. The liquid pigments must be constantly played with and experimented with in order to find the right luminescence and result. This is a process that she is constantly developing with her husband, Eirik Gjedrem, whose contribution is duly noted on the backside of the ceramic supports through a portrait and dedication. For thirty-years Tempelhaug has pushed the boundaries of ceramic as a medium, but also of landscape painting. Letting go of the control and certainty and letting the unknown find its way into her work is what makes it so surprising and captivating. “[I want] to be embraced by warmth and light; The sensation of being inside everything and capturing this in my work,” says the artist.

The Fondazione Officine Saffi, founded in 2011 by Laura Borghi, is a non-profit foundation that focuses on contemporary international ceramics. With support for research, experimentation, exhibitions and educational activities, the foundation brings important attention to the medium and its diverse uses in contemporary art. The foundation commissioned most of the work presented in their Milan exhibition space. For her solo show at the foundation, the first show in Italy dedicated to her work, Tempelhaug channeled her love of Leonardo