Ole Jensen

Ole Jensen was born in 1958. He began his career as an apprentice mechanic. His curiosity and his interest in art and design led him to swap the workshop for the Kunsthåndværkerskolen (School of Arts and Crafts) in Kolding in Denmark in 1981.

There he found the material that brought his special talent to light: clay. Clay can be shaped endlessly – only the artist sets the limits. With this material, Ole Jensen was able to turn his world of images into everyday objects that seem new and surprising at first glance, but quickly come across as an entirely natural interpretation of form and aesthetics. For Ole Jensen, fresh thinking has never been at odds with the familiar.

After completing his training, the newly qualified ceramicist was accepted at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, where he studied from 1985 to 1989. At the same time, he began working with Royal Copenhagen. He saw it as his task to challenge the material, but also began working with other materials. Clay is still at the heart of his design process today. All his ideas are typically developed at the potter's wheel or the workbench before being transferred to the actual material.

Ole Jensen's work is based on the belief that everyday objects should be uncomplicated and natural; their form should not be forced on them but should ideally emerge by itself. His search for a "pure" expression does not mean that his design can be described as formal, however – quite the opposite: his work radiates humour and joie de vivre.

Over the years, Ole Jensen has received numerous awards, including the Thorvald Bindesbøll Medal (2004), the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize in Gothenburg in Sweden (2006), the Red Dot Award and the Design Plus Prize.

Ole Jensen's designs are exhibited in various museums in Europe, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in the UK, the Kunstindustrimuseet in Copenhagen, the Röhsska museet in Gothenburg and the Habitare Collection Design Museum in Helsinki in Finland.