Karin Hessenberg

I make sculptures in high-fired stoneware clay, mainly portraits, some of which are based on historical paintings. Others are life portraits for exhibition or commission.

My recent work has emerged from my interest in portrait sculpture. I have been inspired by the lavish detail of the clothing shown in Elizabethan and Jacobean paintings. While my smaller pieces are more about hats and clothes, the larger busts are a recreation in three dimensions of painted portraits. I enjoy the challenge of integrating texture and colour with sculpted form. I draw on a range of ceramic skills to create my pieces. All my work is made from high-fired stoneware with multiple glazes.

I also make large-scale ornamental objects for gardens, such as birdbaths, planters and lanterns.