Wild Clay and Ceramics with Pernilla with Pernilla
Dig, process, and transform wild red brick clay into sculptural ceramic pieces alongside Pernilla, a master craftswoman with over two decades of experience, in Malmö, one of Scandinavia’s most creative cities. Learn hand-building, wheel throwing, and ways to strengthen your visual language while exploring southern Sweden’s brick architecture, coastline, cold baths, and contemporary craft scene.
- Snacks, Coffee, & Tea
Pricing
- One Guest
- USD $1750
- Additional guest(s) (max 4)
- USD $480
Meet the Artist
Pernilla is a Malmö-based ceramic artist and master potter whose practice spans functional pottery, sculptural installations, and architectural collaborations. What sets her apart is her relationship with a single place: an abandoned brickyard outside Ystad, now reclaimed by nature, where she digs her own clay by hand. This wild red brick clay, once used to shape the region’s architectural heritage, has become the defining material and driving force of her work.
Drawn to the clay’s raw, earthy qualities and its subtle sensitivity, Pernilla explores how it can hold traces of touch, time, labor, and transformation. Her practice moves between wheel-thrown vessels, hand-built forms, stoneware, and installations. The vessel remains at the heart of her work, often transformed, repeated, or reassembled in unexpected ways. She has created sound installations embedded in medieval brick walls, collaborated with architects and filmmakers, and made a film documenting her relationship with the land where she digs.
For Pernilla, craftsmanship is not only technique, but a way of approaching the world with attention, openness, and care. In her studio, you will begin to find your own relationship with clay, and what it can reveal through your hands.
Drawn to the clay’s raw, earthy qualities and its subtle sensitivity, Pernilla explores how it can hold traces of touch, time, labor, and transformation. Her practice moves between wheel-thrown vessels, hand-built forms, stoneware, and installations. The vessel remains at the heart of her work, often transformed, repeated, or reassembled in unexpected ways. She has created sound installations embedded in medieval brick walls, collaborated with architects and filmmakers, and made a film documenting her relationship with the land where she digs.
For Pernilla, craftsmanship is not only technique, but a way of approaching the world with attention, openness, and care. In her studio, you will begin to find your own relationship with clay, and what it can reveal through your hands.
VAWAA Includes:
- Head into the countryside with Pernilla to dig local brick clay, the same clay she uses in her own work, learning how she processes and cares for it and creating your own personal clay blend or glaze tests for high temperature firings.
- Explore the many expressions of clay, letting your ideas and experiences take shape as three-dimensional ceramic works.
- Learn hand-building techniques to sculpt organic forms, architectural details, or wall-mounted pieces that play with form and texture.
- Work on the wheel if you have experience, combining thrown elements into sculptural compositions.
- Experiment with surface treatments to add depth, contrast, and subtle color to your work.
- Learn to listen to the material, respond intuitively, and make choices that strengthen your own visual language.
- Take a short excursion to explore the region's brick architecture and historical ceramics, with visits to contemporary craft spaces for a more current perspective.
- If time permits, join Pernilla for a wild sea swim or winter dip followed by sauna at Malmö's historic Kallbadhuset, a beloved local ritual.
- Optionally, set aside time for a one-on-one coaching session with Pernilla, a certified professional coach, to explore a craft-related goal of your choice.
Explore Malmö
Pernilla's studio is located in Malmö, Sweden's third largest city, in the very south of the country where the land meets the sea. Copenhagen is just 20 minutes away by train across the iconic Öresund Bridge.
Malmö is a city of surprising depth. Known for its diversity and openness, 187 languages are spoken here and cultures blend in everyday life. It has a strong contemporary art scene, an active design community, and events that draw makers and creatives from across the region. The city's brick tradition runs deep, from medieval churches to modern architecture, and it is this same landscape that feeds directly into Pernilla's practice. A few miles outside the city, she digs her clay from the very earth that once supplied the region's brickworks.
Beyond the studio, Malmö rewards slow exploration. The historic Kallbadhuset, a traditional open-air bathhouse stretching into the sea, is one of the city's most beloved gathering places, open year round for swimming, sauna, and conversation. Just outside the city, the region of Skåne unfolds with rolling fields, beech forests, and a long coastline dotted with small towns, all easily explored along the Skåneleden trail.
Malmö is a city of surprising depth. Known for its diversity and openness, 187 languages are spoken here and cultures blend in everyday life. It has a strong contemporary art scene, an active design community, and events that draw makers and creatives from across the region. The city's brick tradition runs deep, from medieval churches to modern architecture, and it is this same landscape that feeds directly into Pernilla's practice. A few miles outside the city, she digs her clay from the very earth that once supplied the region's brickworks.
Beyond the studio, Malmö rewards slow exploration. The historic Kallbadhuset, a traditional open-air bathhouse stretching into the sea, is one of the city's most beloved gathering places, open year round for swimming, sauna, and conversation. Just outside the city, the region of Skåne unfolds with rolling fields, beech forests, and a long coastline dotted with small towns, all easily explored along the Skåneleden trail.
Additional Details
The best time to visit Malmö is in Spring and Autumn, when the weather is mild and the city comes alive with events like Southern Sweden Design Days in late May and Malmö Open Studios. Summer brings long Scandinavian days and a lively outdoor atmosphere. Winter offers a quieter, more intimate side of the city.
This VAWAA is not available for longer durations. Clay digging can be included for up to 2 participants, but is not possible for groups of 3 to 4. Up to 3 kg of clay is included; additional clay can be purchased for an extra fee.
Children above 12, when accompanied by a guardian, as well as elders and people with special needs, are welcome to participate. The studio is wheelchair accessible, however the toilet is small and not fully accessible.
Pernilla speaks Swedish and English.
This VAWAA is not available for longer durations. Clay digging can be included for up to 2 participants, but is not possible for groups of 3 to 4. Up to 3 kg of clay is included; additional clay can be purchased for an extra fee.
Children above 12, when accompanied by a guardian, as well as elders and people with special needs, are welcome to participate. The studio is wheelchair accessible, however the toilet is small and not fully accessible.
Pernilla speaks Swedish and English.