Danish artist Axel Salto

Axel Salto was a Danish artist born in 1889. He was quite possibly the most important designer of ceramic art in Denmark. Salto achieved a powerful expressiveness by exploiting form and surface. He interpreted motives from the plant world and created pieces with surface structures that rippled with dynamic energy and dramatic lines.

Salto worked in three main styles; budding, sprouting and living stone. He never abandoned his experiment with unusually rich glazes and evocative organic forms. Salto used Chinese and classic glazes such as the “solfatara” and “sung”, to clothe his organic creations.

For most of his career, Salto worked at Royal Copenhagen. This legendary manufacturer produced Salto’s designs from the 1930’s until after his death in 1961.

Salto’s artistic skills are also shown in graphic designs – he did illustrations for books, jewellery and textiles. He met Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse in Paris in 1916; a meeting that inspired him to launch an art paper called "Klingen" - together with e.g. Poul Henningsen - that made him one of the forerunners of Danish modernism. His breakthrough as a ceramist came after a successful contribution for the Paris World Exhibition in 1925 for which he designed a number of stoneware pieces for the Danish manufacturer Bing & Grondahl. He also won numerous awards throughout the years including the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale 1951. 

Salto is internationally esteemed for his organically shaped and ornamented stoneware. His surface textures seem to ripple or bubble with life... life that has been magnified for emphasis and glorious decorative effect.

His works can be purchased online at www.1stdibs.com/furniture_search.php?i_creator=Axel+Salto