In the shadowy hamlet of Soazza, in Switzerland’s alpine Grisons region, Helga Ritsch has found the peace and solitude she desires to hand-throw her delicate stoneware and porcelain masterpieces.

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Ceramic art

Helga Ritsch

Ceramic Art

Unique Ceramic Art

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Helga Ritsch - Ceramic art

Sometimes contemplative, often playful, always intriguing: Swiss ceramicist Helga Ritsch reveals the collected works of her Summer Studio 2023, which were created with an enduring sense of freedom.

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Summer 2023

welcomehome?

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Summer Cycle 2023

In the clarifying air of her Swiss mountain home, ceramicist Helga Ritsch created her 2024 winter cycle, ‘what about us?’, which delves into connections within objects and between individuals.

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Winter 2024

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‘what about us?’

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HELGA RITSCH

Unique ceramic art made in Switzerland

Matcha tea bowl (2024)

Texture plays an important role in this softly curving matcha tea bowl. A drip glaze has been applied around the rim of this smooth white porcelain. This tactile element gives your fingers something to play with while also adding visual appeal.

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Low vessel (2024)

This low white porcelain vessel is slightly translucent, and bears an even outside surface and clean lines. A signature red thread is looped in a tiny stitch over the lip, instead of alongside it, as in some of the artist’s other vessels.

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Painted vessel (2024)

In a creative collaboration between two master ceramicists, this beautifully painted white glazed porcelain vessel emerged, crafted at the wheel of Helga Ritsch and finished with the delicate floral brushstrokes of Shingo Oka.

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Vessel (medium, 2023)

Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist's intellectual and physical interaction during its creation. With its minimalist architectural character, this vessel has a presence that gracefully fills the space. Though not immediately visible, the tiny pedestal elevates the bowl, creating an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow around and below it. Despite its delicate appearance, the surface is pleasantly rough to the touch; as your hands glide over the vessel‘s curves, a raw sound emerges, reminiscent of nature and unexpectedly soothing. A multi-sensory piece that promises daily delight, regardless of its intended use.

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Curved vessel (2024)

Two shapes merge in this calming yet commanding white translucent sculptural vessel: the graceful curvature of the exterior begins narrowly from the base, moves up and widens out. Surprisingly, though, the interior bears a smooth, uniform roundness.

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This sculptural vessel has a presence that surpasses all expectations. Its structural character enriches any surface with its clarity and gentle curvature.

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High vessel (medium, 2023)

Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist‘s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation. With its minimalist architectural character, this vessel has a presence that gracefully fills the space. Though not immediately visible, the tiny pedestal elevates the bowl, creating an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow around and below it. Despite its delicate appearance, the surface is pleasantly rough to the touch; as your hands glide over the vessel's curves, a raw sound emerges, reminiscent of nature and unexpectedly soothing. A multi-sensory piece that promises daily delight, regardless of its intended use.

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Matcha bowl (2022)

This matcha bowl exudes a tranquil elegance, while its depth invites the vibrant green hues of the matcha to pool gracefully, creating a soothing visual experience. The bowl's textured surface adds a subtle tactile dimension. Created to be cradled in your hands, this uniquely crafted piece offers aesthetic appeal and functionality, inviting you to savour each sip in serene style.

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Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist's intellectual and physical interaction during its creation. With its minimalist architectural character, this vessel has a presence that gracefully fills the space.

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Merged vase (2024)

Helga Ritsch takes familiar shapes and melds them into something new. This black rounded porcelain vase merges two pieces – its opening at the top enriched with deep green Mangan oxids and its surface pressed with evenly spaced grooves.

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Vessel, part of a group of three (2/3-2022)

Part of a group of 3 white bowls – small, medium and large. Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist’s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation. With its minimalist architectural character, this vessel has a presence that gracefully fills the space. Though not immediately visible, the tiny pedestal elevates the bowl, creating an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow around and below it. Despite its delicate appearance, the surface is pleasantly rough to the touch; as your hands glide over the vessel’s curves, a raw sound emerges, reminiscent of nature and unexpectedly soothing. A multi-sensory piece, with the perfect aesthetic dimensions, it promises daily delight, regardless of its intended use.

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Bulbous vase (small, 2024)

While it may be diminutive in size and delicate in appearance, this white vase commands presence. Taking it gently into your palm, you will feel that it also has a pleasing weight to it – more than perhaps anticipated for an object just 12cm wide.

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Vessel (large, 2022)

Once you hold this vessel in your hands, you won’t want to let it go. Your fingertips will find solace tracing the layered, lined structure of its exterior. The asymmetrical gaps between the lines reveal the care and sculptural knowledge woven into its crafting, adding allure to a piece that feels nothing short of perfect. It captures the essence of finest artisanal craftsmanship, celebrating a profound connection with every singular piece which exists only once.

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Conical vessel (2018)

The transparent high-gloss glaze across the inside of this broad conical vessel creates a play of light, which perpetually changes depending on where the piece is placed. As part of the artist’s archive, it retains its timelessness in its simplicity.

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Staggered matcha bowl (2022) 

This matcha bowl appears to be formed by three building blocks that gently cascade, one after the other. Despite its somewhat unexpected appearance, once you hold it, you could not imagine it being constructed any other way. Crafted individually.

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Vessel (medium, 2021)

The clean lines of this nearly triangular vessel stand in contrast to its delicate appearance, further enhanced by its astonishing thinness. A neutral piece in white, it harmonises with almost any environment, while imparting a subtle yet structurally refined accent. Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist's intellectual and physical interaction during its creation.

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Hued beak vessel, part of a group of six (6/6-2023)

A beak bowl you’ll actively seek out uses for, just to admire its perfect form and the exquisite interplay between the sand-coloured stoneware and the black-coloured engobe. Uniquely crafted, every piece of the group of six is one of a kind.

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This matcha bowl appears to be formed by three building blocks that gently cascade, one after the other, from the broadest section at the top to the narrowest at the base.

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Hued beak vessel, part of a group of six (4/6-2023)

A beak bowl you’ll actively seek out uses for, just to admire its perfect form and the exquisite interplay between the sand-coloured stoneware and the brown-coloured engobe. Uniquely crafted, every piece of the group of six is one of a kind.

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This sculptural vessel has a confident presence. The slightly inclined foot reflects the balance of daily life: fragile in certain moments, grounded in general. Its structural character enriches any surface with its clarity and gentle curvature. Its most unexpected yet remarkable feature is its capacity to produce sound: a subtle glide of your finger from the bottom to the top of the vessel’s interior results in vibrations that manifest as a soothing, delicate sound – reminiscent of the soft whistling of grass in the wind. A creation that brings solace to your senses, while remaining a singular marvel shaped by the artist’s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation.

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Drinking bowls set of 6 with saucer

This classic pairing, a drinking bowl and its accompanying saucer, acquires a poetic allure. The textured stoneware beautifully complements the duo's delicate appearance. Individually crafted, each creation is adorned with black engobe, creating an additional interplay between materials, colours and forms. Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist‘s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation. Designed to nestle effortlessly in your hands, it promises an experience that balances comfort with aesthetic pleasure.

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Vessel (2023)

This sculptural vessel has a captivating presence that evokes a profound sense of wonder. Its structural character enriches any surface with its clarity and gentle curvature. Its most unexpected yet remarkable feature is its capacity to produce sound: a subtle glide of your finger from the bottom to the top of the vessel‘s interior results in vibrations that manifest as a soothing, delicate sound – reminiscent of the soft whistling of grass in the wind. A creation that brings solace to your senses, while remaining a singular marvel shaped by the artist’s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation.

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Hued beak vessel, part of a group of six (3/6-2023)

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Hued beak vessel, part of a group of six (1/6-2023)

A beak bowl you'll actively seek out uses for, just to admire its perfect form and the exquisite interplay between the sand-coloured stoneware and the black-coloured engobe. Uniquely crafted, every piece of the group of six is one of a kind.

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Hued beak vessel, part of a group of six (2/6-2023)

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Layered vessel (large, 2022)

The vessel looks as though it has been crafted from four pieces that nestle seamlessly into one another, with the largest forming the base and the smallest adorning the summit.

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Structural stoneware vessel (2024)

The rough surface of this stoneware vessel is surprisingly pleasant to the touch. Helga Ritsch’s architectural background comes through in the faint ridge and subtle shift from a gently convex form to an opposing concave shape.

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Grooved stoneware vessel (2024)

At first glance, the beauty of this earthy-hued vessel appears to be in its abundant simplicity. However, closer inspection reveals subtle grooves running the length of its circumference, applied manually using a wooden-handled metal tool. 

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Beaked stoneware vessel (2024)

Gradients of shimmering green crackle glaze coat the interior of this otherwise rough-hewn stoneware pouring vessel. The contrast between the smooth glaze and the raw matt texture of the curved exterior pleases both hand and eye.

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Vessel (medium, 2022)

Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist’s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation. With its minimalist architectural character, this vessel has a presence that gracefully fills the space. Though not immediately visible, the tiny pedestal elevates the bowl, creating an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow around and below it. Despite its delicate appearance, the outer surface is pleasantly rough to the touch; as your hands glide over the vessel's curves, a raw sound emerges, reminiscent of nature and unexpectedly soothing. The interior of the vessel is glazed, creating an interplay of light and reflections. This multi-sensory piece promises daily delight, regardless of its intended use.

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Vessel, part of a group of three (3/3-2022)

Part of a group of 3 white bowls – small, medium and large. Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist’s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation. With its minimalist architectural character, this vessel has a presence that gracefully fills the space. Though not immediately visible, the tiny pedestal elevates the bowl, creating an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow around and below it. Despite its delicate appearance, the surface is pleasantly rough to the touch; as your hands glide over the vessel's curves, a raw sound emerges, reminiscent of nature and unexpectedly soothing. A multi-sensory piece, with the perfect aesthetic dimensions, it can hold small treasures or slices of fruit, promising daily delight, regardless of its intended use.

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Vessel, part of a group of three (1/3-2022)

Part of a group of 3 white bowls – small, medium and large. Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist’s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation. With its warm, minimalist character, this vessel has a presence that gracefully fills the space. Though not immediately visible, the tiny pedestal elevates the bowl, creating an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow around and below it. Despite its delicate appearance, the surface is pleasantly rough to the touch; as your hands glide over the vessel’s curves, a raw sound emerges, reminiscent of nature and unexpectedly soothing. A multi-sensory piece, with the perfect aesthetic dimensions, it promises daily delight, regardless of its intended use.

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High vessel (2024)

Somewhat resembling an inverted pyramid with a blunt tip, which forms the narrow base, this white translucent porcelain vessel has a majestic presence. The sharply ascending sides, lined with grooves, come together to form a perfect circle.

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Drinking bowl

Crafted individually, each piece embodies a unique form and identity, shaped by the artist’s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation. With its minimalist character, this vessel has a presence that gracefully fills the space. Though not immediately visible, the tiny pedestal elevates the bowl, creating an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow around and below it. Despite its delicate appearance, the surface is pleasantly rough to the touch; as your hands glide over the vessel‘s curves, a raw sound emerges, reminiscent of nature and unexpectedly soothing. A multi-sensory piece that promises daily delight, regardless of its intended use.

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Hued beak vessel, part of a group of six (5/6-2023)

A beak bowl you‘ll actively seek out uses for, just to admire its perfect form and the exquisite interplay between the sand-coloured stoneware and the black-coloured engobe. Uniquely crafted, every piece of the group of six is one of a kind.

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Stoneware vase (2024)

Helga Ritsch sculpts her ceramics in a secluded mountain village. The earthy grey-brown tones of this small bulbous vase echo her environment. A smudgy touch of blue punctuates the neutral palette, and a smooth glaze offsets the roughness of the stoneware.

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Tea pourer (medium, 2023)

This uniquely elegant tea pourer appears to balance itself on its nearly triangular pedestal. Yet it maintains its stance, elevating the space it occupies with its refined and structural presence. The elegantly shaped ends of the vessel not only suggest its potential use as a tea pourer but also invite diverse interpretations.

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Ridged vessel (2024)

Pieces such as this sculptural translucent white vessel have such an enduring appeal that they could be from almost any era. A repetition of gentle ridges covers the exterior surface while the interior, by contrast, is silky smooth.

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Round small vessel (2024)

Delicate with a serene presence, this small vessel unfolds like a revelation before your eyes and at your fingertips. As you hold it, the fine grooves on the exterior become apparent, while the inside reveals the organic imprints of Helga’s fingers as she moulded the clay to its final form. A subtle harmony of outer and inner worlds, uniquely entwined in perfect balance.

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Conic small vessel (2024)

This exquisite small vessel reveals its elegance as it unfolds before your eyes and at your fingertips. Conic in shape, it rises gracefully from a small base to a larger opening, with a line so fluid it evokes silent admiration. The organic form reflects the artist's mastery, shaping the clay with a profound sense of balance and elegance. Subtle grooves on the exterior and the imprints of Helga’s fingers in the inside are testament to Helga’s intimate connection with the material, capturing both the art and the artist in perfect harmony.

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Cupped small vessel (2024)

With a beautifully cupped shape and a balanced clay contour, this vessel rises from a small base to a larger opening. The organic form reflects the artist's mastery, shaping the clay with a profound sense of harmony.

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This small cupped vessel reflects Helga’s deep connection with ceramics. The exterior grooves exude a sense of perfection, while the interior lines shaped by Helga’s fingers reveal her touch, embodying the gentle care in each piece.

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Round small vessel (2024) 

This small vessel is unmistakably Helga’s creation. The way it curves and rises, transitioning from a small base to a larger opening, achieves a perfect balance in its asymmetry. Her care and unparalleled artistry define each of her pieces.

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Tiny painted vessel (2024)

A testament to the artistry that unfolds when creative souls meet, marking the dawn of the exclusive Artisan Circle. Unmistakably shaped by Helga, Oka-san’s brushes reveal another, perhaps unexpected, facet of its character.

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Ming vessel (2024)

Elegantly balancing on its tiny triangular base, this tea pourer may give the illusion of teetering en pointe like a dancer. Despite its delicate appearance, crafted from fine black Ming porcelain, it gains sturdiness through its even proportions. 

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This sculptural vessel has a captivating presence that evokes a profound sense of wonder. Its structural character enriches any surface with its clarity and gentle curvature. Its most unexpected yet remarkable feature is its capacity to produce sound: a subtle glide of your finger from the bottom to the top of the vessel's interior results in vibrations that manifest as a soothing, delicate sound – reminiscent of the soft whistling of grass in the wind. A creation that brings solace to your senses, while remaining a singular marvel shaped by the artist’s intellectual and physical interaction during its creation.