On the second floor of LURF GALLERY, we are pleased to present "RESONANCE," an exhibition featuring works by Wilhelm Kåge (1889-1960), Bernd Friberg (1899-1981), and Stig Lindberg (1916-1982), three representatives of 20th century Swedish ceramics who built the golden age of the Gustavsberg Porcelain Manufactory, one of the centers of Scandinavian design.
Kåge's profound forms, Friberg's delicate forms, and Lindberg's free and decorative expressions... While each pursued their own unique individuality, they were united through their master-disciple relationship and brought about new developments in Scandinavian ceramics.
His rich collection of works, born from his inquisitiveness towards materials and forms, and his experimentation with glazes, remains highly acclaimed internationally to this day and is considered a symbol of modernist craftsmanship.
This exhibition is a contemporary re-enactment of a three-person exhibition held in 1945, with the theme of "RESONANCE." We hope that you will take this opportunity to experience the charm of crafts that resonate from the past to the present, along with their history.
The exhibition will run from Friday, October 17th, 2025 to Monday, November 3rd (national holiday).
Exhibition Overview
RESONANCE ─ Kåge, Friberg, Lindberg Exhibition
Date: October 17th (Friday) - November 3rd (Monday/Holiday), 2025
Venue | LURF GALLERY 2F
Time｜11:00 - 19:00
Address: Roob1, 28-13 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0033
Cooperation: Gallery Hokuouki
Gallery Nordic Ware
HP｜ https://hokuouki.com/
instagram｜ @gallery_hokuouki
Talk Session & Opening Reception
Talk session
To commemorate this exhibition, we will be holding a talk session with guests who have a deep knowledge of design and ceramics.
Speaker: Takahiro Tsuchida (Writer/Editor)
Genko Nakamura (Nakamura Design Studio/STILL LIFE)
Akira Shimamine (Gallery Nordic Ware)
Date and time | Saturday, October 18, 2025 16:00 - 18:00
Venue | LURF GALLERY 2F
Address: Roob1, 28-13 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0033
Admission | Free
*Please note that there will be limited seating on the day, so you may be asked to stand.
*Depending on the level of congestion, admission may be temporarily restricted.
Opening Reception
Date and time | Saturday, October 18, 2025 18:00 - 20:00
Venue | LURF GALLERY 2F
Admission | Free
Inquiries about works: https://lurfgallery.com/pages/contact
LURF GALLERY official website | https://lurfgallery.com/
Reference works
Wilhelm Kåge
Berndt Friberg
Stig Lindberg
Installation Views
Profile
Wilhelm Kåge
Born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1889, Salto was a pioneer of modern Scandinavian ceramics and is considered one of the two great masters, along with Axel Salto. He is the father of Scandinavian crafts, and the only person to be awarded the title of "Professor" by both the King and the Swedish Crafts Association. Originally a renowned poster designer, in 1917, on the recommendation of the Swedish Crafts Association, he was invited to Gustavsberg Porcelain Manufactory as art director. He was well-versed in ceramics from around the world, and he also had connections with Hamada Shoji, who visited Japan. Until then, the majority of Western ceramics were highly artistic, as was the style used by aristocrats, but Salto resonated with ideas such as folk art and broke away from this trend. He advocated the importance of beautiful tableware for everyday use, and designed more than 30 types of tableware throughout his lifetime. The Farsta series, which Wilhelm Kåge began producing in the 1920s, is an art line that combines the essence of ancient Chinese Song and Goryeo dynasties and Japanese ceramics with Western painting, sculpture, and ancient Greek and Egyptian ceramics, creating a unique and ambitious series of works that are considered masterpieces by historians and collectors and are highly acclaimed worldwide. His ideas were passed down to his students Bernd Friberg and Stig Lindberg. He won the Grand Prix at the 1925 Paris World's Fair (Art Deco Exposition). He died in 1960.
Berndt Friberg | Berndt Friberg
Born in 1899 in Höganäs, Sweden, a city with a thriving ceramics industry. He began working as a potter's assistant at the Höganäs Porcelain Factory at the age of 13, moving from one kiln to another and spending 22 years as a potter's wheel craftsman until the age of 35. In 1934, he returned to Sweden and joined the Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory. He studied under Wilhelm Kåge and, in 1941, went independent and established his own workshop within Gustavsberg. Over his lifetime, he produced hundreds of thousands of pieces on the potter's wheel, drawing inspiration from ancient ceramics from Japan, China, and Korea, pursuing form and glaze with rigorous sincerity. Many of his pieces, such as his glaze tones and textures, exude a delicate and elegant feminine beauty. His small pieces, small enough to rest on a fingertip, are especially known as jewels of vessels. His works are collected by many art museums around the world, including King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, Yves Saint Laurent, and Robert Mapplethorpe. His works are housed in museums around the world, including the Swedish National Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. He won the Gold Medal at the Milan Triennale in 1947, 1951, and 1954. In 1965, he won the Grand Prix at the Faenza International Ceramics Award. He also exhibited at the Contemporary International Ceramics Exhibition held in Japan in 1964. He passed away in 1981.
Stig Lindberg Picture : Stig Lindberg
Born in Umeå, Sweden in 1916, he is a representative Swedish artist who spent 45 years working at or associated with Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory, serving as art director during its golden age. After studying painting at the Stockholm School of Arts, Crafts, and Design, he self-nominated and joined Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory at the age of just 21. He studied under Vilhelm Kåge and quickly distinguished himself with his popular Faience series, featuring vibrant and bold paintings on soft ceramics. He began exhibiting his works in his own studio in the early 1940s, and in 1949 he took over as art director from Kåge, designing numerous tableware and interior ceramic pieces, including the Bersa series. He was a key figure in creating Gustavsberg's golden age, producing numerous iconic pieces. He visited Japan twice after leaving Gustavsberg. Lisa Larson is known as one of the artists he discovered. His works are housed in museums around the world, including the Swedish National Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Art Institute of Chicago. He won the Gold Medal at the Milan Triennale in 1948 and 1957, and the Grand Prix in 1951 and 1954. He died in 1982 in Italy, where he had moved to in his later years.
What is Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory?
Gustavsberg Porcelain Manufactory was founded in 1825 in Gustavsberg on the island of Värmdö, near Stockholm, Sweden. Initially focused on the production of ceramics for everyday use, the company became an important industrial base in Sweden from the 19th to the early 20th century. After World War II, the company undertook a major transformation with the appointment of Wilhelm Kåge as art director, resulting in the continuous production of products with outstanding design. With the success of many outstanding designers and ceramic artists, including his successor Bernd Friberg, Stig Lindberg, and Lisa Larson, Gustavsberg went beyond mere industrial production and became a symbol of artistic Scandinavian modern design.
His works, which are simple, functional, and poetically beautiful, are still highly regarded by many collectors and museums today, and are an indispensable part of the history of Swedish ceramics and design.