Vita (english | français)

"Above all, they are beautiful and magnificent. The clear, extravagant and luxurious beauty is a feast for the eyes. The daily grind grows pale for a few moments, and just looking at them peacefully from all sides wants you to become more preciseful about them.

Next to aesthetics, Mindermann pays tribute to every one conceivable aspect of ceramics. In case you disassemble a vessel into all it's parts, you will see how much Mindermann treats every aspect with utmost care and mastery. The shape, glaze, colour, interior, surface, the upper edge and the bottom footing – all these elements are experienced by Martin Mindermann in accurate observation and intensive treatment. The principle simple shapes of bulbes, spherical globes or lenses in all their different manifestations have one in common...they offer generous space for the interplay of coloured glazes and the Craquelé-structures of the skin. Crease and deeper tracks in the surface structure are composed like a painting. The transitions to the inside of Mindermann's vessels are always in flow – throughout there is no way of findings any sharp edges or blunt endings – in fact the offer a spacious view of the colours of the inside. Exactly here something completely special happens, when Mindermann creates copper or golden rooms. The light is captures and the vessel shines with beaming brilliance from inside. Theoretically it would be possible to fill up the vessels in some ways.....however, who would like to deprive himself of that wonderful view?“Above all, they are beautiful and magnificent. The clear, extravagant and luxurious beauty is a feast for the eyes. The daily grind grows pale for a few moments, and just looking at them peacefully from all sides wants you to become more preciseful about them.

Next to aesthetics, Mindermann pays tribute to every one conceivable aspect of ceramics. In case you disassemble a vessel into all it's parts, you will see how much Mindermann treats every aspect with utmost care and mastery. The shape, glaze, colour, interior, surface, the upper edge and the bottom footing – all these elements are experienced by Martin Mindermann in accurate observation and intensive treatment. The principle simple shapes of bulbes, spherical globes or lenses in all their different manifestations have one in common...they offer generous space for the interplay of coloured glazes and the Craquelé-structures of the skin. Crease and deeper tracks in the surface structure are composed like a painting. The transitions to the inside of Mindermann's vessels are always in flow – throughout there is no way of findings any sharp edges or blunt endings – in fact the offer a spacious view of the colours of the inside. Exactly here something completely special happens, when Mindermann creates copper or golden rooms. The light is captures and the vessel shines with beaming brilliance from inside. Theoretically it would be possible to fill up the vessels in some ways.....however, who would like to deprive himself of that wonderful view?"
(Gabriele Caspers, inaugural address, October 9th, 2004)
2005Lecturer at the University of the Arts, Bremen
2004Workshop in Pretoria, South Africa
2000Korea & Germany Ceramic Workshop
1998Course Instructor at the Escula Taller Arte Fuego, Caracas/Venezuela
1997International Potters Festival, Alberystwyth Arts Center, Wales
1996Shared workship with Elisabeth Wischeropp
1995Course Instructor at the School for Ceramics Cnifop, Saint Amand, France
1994Studio joint effort at the Old Pumbing Station, Bremen
1992Course Instructor at Giancarlo Scapin, Schio, Italy
1984-90Course of Studies at the University of the Arts in Bremen with Prof. Dorothee Colberg-Tjadens and Prof. Fritz Vehring
1977-80Training as a painter
1960born in Bremen

- Award -

2003Euregio Award, Museum of Ceramics, Raeren, Belgium
1996Auguste Papendieck Price, Bremen
1996First Price in contemporary ceramics together with Elisabeth Wischeropp in Oldenburg
1993Award for Artictic Craftmanship Bremer
1992Award of the Bavarian State with Gold Medal
1990Price of the city of Verden for Sculpture-object Installation and Sculpture
1989First Prize for Contemporary Ceramics, Offenburg
1988Ceramic-Award of the Fechener Cultural Foundation, Médaille d'Or d'Emaille, 11th International Biennale of Ceramics, Vallauris
1987Richard Bampi Prize

- Sculptures in Public Collections -

Museum of Prussian Cultural Heritage, Arts and Craft Museum Berlin
Museum of Ceramics, Berlin
State Museum Schloss Gottorf, Schleswig
Museum Eckernförde
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
State Museum Oldenburg
State Museum Bremen
Museum Emsland, Schloss Clemenswerth
Hetjens Museum, Düsseldorf
Keramion Frechen
Museum of Ceramics Westerwald, Höhr-Grenzhausen
Museum am Burghof, Lörrach
Ritterhaus-Museum, Offenburg
State Museum of Württembergisches, Stuttgart
Museum of Arts, Erlangen
Museum of Ceramics, Veste Coburg
Grassi-Museum, Leipzig
Museum of Ceramics, Raeren, Belgien
Maison de la Céramique Contemporaine Giroussens, France
Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan
also solo-shows and exhibitions in numerous cities in Germany, Europe and overseas since 1986.
Download Vita (in German only) (pdf)

- Literature -

CoverAndrews, Tim: "Raku - a Review of Contempory Work", London: A&C Black, 1994 (S. 24f, 55 ff)
Cover Pottenbakken Pottenbakken Compleet
Cover Focke catalogue of exhibitions Focke Museum Bremen
Neue KeramikNeue Keramik, 11/93 (S. 828-831) und 12/95 (S. 734)
 Margetts, Martina: "International Crafts", London: Thames and Hudson, 1991 (Seite 32)
 Ceramic Review, No.134, 3-4/92 (S. 20)
 Keramikmagazin, 3/94 (S. 7), 5/99 (S. 6-9)
 Kunsthandwerk & Design, 6/96 (S. 16ff)
 Ceramic Art Monthly, Korea, Heft 7/96 (S. 38f)
 La Revue de la Céramique et du Verre, No. 93, 3-4/97 (S. 38f)
 Steve Mattison: "The Complete Potter", London: apple press, 2003/New York: Barron's, 2004 (S. 87, 155, 201)
Martin Mindermann Martin Mindermann Martin Mindermann