Danish ceramist Bodil Manz has perfected her craft for over forty years, creating primarily cylinder forms with an endless variety of surface decorations. To create these paper-thin cylinders, she first makes plaster molds that she fills with liquid clay. She then vacuums out the clay, leaving only a thin layer of clay against the mold which hardens and is eventually fired in the kiln. After a first firing, paper decals are then applied to the body, often in bold geometric patterns inspired by Russian Suprematism and De Stijl art. Later iterations of her practice have involved using sand-cast molds which feature textured and complex surfaces, as seen in her Large cylinder.

Describing her fascination for exploring endless variations on the same theme, Manz said, “Focusing and concentrating on a single object such as…a cylinder…[seems] indeed almost banal. But during the process [I] discovered fresh aspects, and suddenly ‘the ordinary’ became a new experience.” Bodil Manz’s work resides in The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others.