- "Everyday items should reflect people."

Trained at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1956-60. Employed by Hjorth's Terracotta Manufactory in Rønne, Denmark, 1960-61. Employed by Bing & Grøndahl Porcelain Manufactory in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1961-68. Studies at Escuela de Diseno y Artesanias in Mexico, 1968. Travels in North Africa 1963 and in Mexico 1967-68 and 1988. Studies at Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Room and Mural Arts in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1970-72. Teacher at the School of Applied Arts in Copenhagen, Denmark, since 1973. Own workshop since 1978. Co-operation with Royal Copenhagen since 1987. Board member of Crafts. Member of evaluation board regarding The Design Courses of Denmark.

Selected exhibitions

1995: Living Design in Denmark, Barcelona and Madrid, Spain.

1996: Makes ceramic scent jars with Inger Louise Bach, Tora Urup and Ole Jensen for Morten Skriver and Christian Skeel's scent installation in Esbjerg's Museum of Art, Denmark.

1998: Køkkenting, exhibition with Inger Louise Bach, Tora Urup and Ole Jensen, Royal Copenhagen, Denmark.

1999: Flower pots for Botanical Garden, Den Frie, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2000: Danish Porcelain. 225 years of Danish design, The Danish Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Selected awards

1988: The Danish State Art Foundation's 3-year work grant.

1992: World Crafts Council's 1st Prize, Bratislava, Slovakia.

1993: Design Plus Prize for Ursula, the faience dinnerware, Germany.

1994: The Thorvald Bindesbøll Medal.

1995: The Lis Ahlmann grant.

Represented at

Museum of Decorative Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Holstebro Museum, Denmark.

Bornholm's Museum, Denmark.

The Collection of the Swedish King, Sweden.

Nordenfjeldska Museet, Norway.

Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England.

Speaking the language of our time

The cups, jugs, plates, dishes and bowls from the Ursula range definitely speak the language of our time. With the colourful, round, usable shapes the artist herself expresses the present exuberant version of functionalism.

"We must protect our resources," says Ursula Munch-Petersen, speaking in the language of environmentally conscious recent years. "This means gentleness and care and the mild touch of handicrafts when we work with materials - the ceramic as much as the culinary."

A signal of good food

Her family of cups and jugs, plates, dishes and bowls signals good food. She has thought out each piece as an independent entity and the function of the items is precisely reflected in their vigorous, rounded shapes. She feels that everyday items should reflect people. A handle must almost ask to be gripped. The oval plates invite food to arrange itself nicely. Ursula shimmers with practical details. For instance, many of her pieces are multipurpose. A small oval plate doubles as a side plate and saucer, as well as acting as a lid for her oval bowls. Most items are stackable and she has ensured sufficient space and proportion with a good choice of sturdy serving pieces and presentation dishes.

Yellow as a buttercup in the sun

Her colours are natural and fresh, yellow as a buttercup in the sun, green as lush grass, blue as the summer sky. Ursula Munch-Petersen imbues her porcelain with warmth and friendliness, adding joy to our daily lives.

Fourth generation of leading ceramists

Munch-Petersen is a renowned name in Danish ceramic art, and Ursula Munch-Petersen is the fourth generation of leading ceramists. She also creates ornaments and sculpture, but everyday, useable items are dearest to her.