I was born in Sweden/Stockholm and I am very fond of my country with its fantastic proximity to nature.
MAGAZINE · INTERVIEW
Sofia Tufvasson
Sofia Tufvasson is a Swedish ceramic artist based in Stockholm whose practice explores the expressive qualities of clay through sculptural vessels and objects that blur the boundary between function and art. Originally trained in graphic design, she gradually shifted towards ceramics, developing an intuitive, hands-on approach that embraces spontaneity, experimentation, and the tactile nature of the material. Her work investigates movement, texture, and form, creating pieces that evoke a quiet sense of rhythm and transformation.
Working primarily with hand-built stoneware, Tufvasson creates collectible objects distinguished by fluid silhouettes, organic folds, and richly textured surfaces. Drawing inspiration from architecture, nature, textiles, and everyday observations, she transforms clay into sculptural compositions that celebrate imperfection, craftsmanship, and the expressive possibilities of the handmade.
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Interview
Where were you born and where are you from?
What is your first memory connected to the art world?
I remember my enormous fascination with a Marc Chagall exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm in 1982 when I was 8 years old. But I have always loved creating in different materials, so it has always been present during my upbringing.
Have you always worked in the art/design field?
Yes, I knew early on that I wanted to work with something creative and first trained as a graphic designer, which I worked with for many years before I chose to switch to clay as a material to give myself several dimensions to express my ideas.
What led you to design creation?
It has been a natural calling, even if I didn’t know from the beginning which material I would end up working in.
How would you describe your creative process and its influences?
There is a lot of sketching and testing in my studio, which leads to different ideas that I work on further or not; it’s a process that keeps going and has to be challenged. The inspiration I find in everyday life, such as a cut-out from a magazine, something in nature, or shapes in architectural buildings.
Could you describe a typical day of your work?
I often have several artworks that I work on in parallel as they are in different drying processes, but also to challenge myself not to do the same thing all the time, but to test and create new variations in my design language.
Why did you choose the specific materials you work with?
I have worked in many different materials, such as silver and wood, but clay has always been a part throughout the years. A material that fascinates and frustrates me, as there is complexity in the clay, but its endless possibilities meant that the choice ended up there and that I could develop my ideas best in this material.
What are the technical particularities of your creations?
I build my works of art in stoneware clay, sometimes freehand, sometimes with the help of shapes that I have made on the potter’s wheel.
What advice could you give to beginning artists who would like to create sculptural design works?
I think the best thing is to get to know the material and to try, try, and try again to finally land on your unique idiom in your art.
If your works had to belong to a design movement, how would you define it?
It would be ART NOUVEAU mostly because it is a style that appeals to me and that I feel inspired by. In my own art, I want it to be able to fit into any style or era; I want it to be timeless in its form.
What designers and artists have influenced you?
I am inspired a lot by architecture and organic forms, an artist I appreciate is Holma af Klint and her large abstract paintings.
What contemporary designers do you appreciate?
Bea Szenfeld, Stockholm-based artist whose medium is paper. She creates amazing things, including clothes that can be seen more as works of art.
What contemporary artists, in any kind of art, have you been inspired by?
I don’t have a particular favourite, but I like to look at architecture and furniture design, which often leads me to Danish design from the 50s.
If you had to summarize your creations in one word or sentence, what would it be?
“To capture a movement” is what I try to do in all my artworks.
“‘To capture a movement’ is what I try to do in all my artworks.”
The Questionnaire
The Questions
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust.
Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde,
Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
When people around me are happy that brings me joy
What is your greatest fear?
Illness and death
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Must be my annoyance to other drivers while driving
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
People that are false and superficial
Which living person do you most admire?
My husband
What is your greatest extravagance?
My new studio
What is your current state of mind?
To let things take time with out frustration
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
New Years resolution
What is the quality you most like in a man?
To make me feel secure
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Trust
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Perfect and great
Which talent would you most like to have?
No fear of giving a speech
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Stop thinking about worst case scenarios
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My 4 daughters
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
Maybe it could be an eagle
Where would you most like to live?
Italy or New York for a while but I love Sweden
What is your most treasured possession?
I’m very happy for my summer house in the Swedish archipelago, that has been a dream for a very long time to have our one place
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
War
What is your favorite occupation?
To be creative
What is your most marked characteristic?
I can see potential art in everything
What do you most value in your friends?
That they are genuinely nice people
Who are your favorite writers?
I don’t really have a favorite, my goal is to read more at the moment
Who is your hero of fiction?
Snoopy
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
–
Who are your heroes in real life?
My family
What are your favorite names?
Mira, Vera, Siri and Rut (the name of my daughters)
What is it that you most dislike?
Insincerity
What is your greatest regret?
That I didn’t stay longer in Australia when I was there in my youth
How would you like to die?
In my sleep without pain at an old age
What is your motto?
Get it done!
“I think the best thing is to get to know the material and to try, try, and try again to finally land on your unique idiom in your art.”
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