Pangolin London presents Merete Rasmussen: Bronze and Ceramic, the artist’s first solo show with the gallery. Known for her signature abstract ceramics, this exhibition explores a new departure for Merete in the form of bronze works thanks to a collaboration with Pangolin Editions. This alliance has not only enabled Rasmussen to break free from the confines of the kiln but excitingly, allows her work to be shown outdoors in a natural or urban environment, a concept Merete has always been keen to explore.
Merete Rasmussen was born in Copenhagen and brought up in Sweden. Returning to Denmark to study at the Designskolen Kolding, she was inspired by the iconic designs of her fellow Danes, Arne Jacobsen and Verner Panton. During her studies she travelled widely, with the sculptural sand dunes of Namibia having a particularly potent effect.
Working mainly in stoneware and hand building her pieces using the coil technique, Merete enjoys the challenging nature of both the material she works in and the complex structures she builds, which despite their apparent fragility and complicated contours, hold their shape and presence to the point of defiance. Talking about the wider interests in her work Merete says:
“Different form expressions appeal to me and results in my continuous exploration with many different variations: soft but precise curves, sharp edges, concave surfaces shifting to convex; the discovery and strength of an inner or negative space. I am intrigued by the idea of a continuous surface, for example with one connected edge running through an entire form.”
Highlights of the exhibition will include one monumental and three smaller size bronzes rendered in Merete’s signature style but to a more complex and delicate extreme than her ceramic work allows her to achieve. These four bronzes will be exhibited alongside new ceramic works specially commissioned for her show at Pangolin London.
Bronze and Ceramic, allows visitors to closely examine the true complexity and beauty behind Merete’s work. Merete Rasmussen has exhibited widely and her work is held in a number of public collections including The Victoria and Albert Museum, London; The Museum of Arts and Design, New York; The National Fund of Contemporary Arts, France; The Crafts Council Collection, UK and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
MERETE RASMUSSEN: BRONZE & CERAMIC – Pangolin London – 4 December 2015 – 16 January 2016.