About

Nanna Bayer

Born in Finland, rooted in Tasmania. Ceramic artist.

Biography

Nanna Bayer is a Finnish-born ceramic artist based in South Hobart, Tasmania. She works with thin coloured porcelain using nerikomi, a Japanese technique in which colour and pattern run through the clay body. Her practice moves between functional vessels, sculpture and light. (SOHO Arts · Design Tasmania · Studio)

She studied ceramics in Posio, Finland, after training in arts and crafts in Hollola and fashion and fur in Frankfurt am Main. Her practice developed in the Fiskars artist community, and she remains a member of Onoma, its cooperative of artisans, designers and artists. In her published artist account, she dates her move to Tasmania to the end of 2011. (2019 CV · Onoma · SOHO Arts)

Her Tasmanian work includes porcelain dinnerware and panels for MONA, a collaborative fire sculpture for the 2019 Australian Ceramics Triennale, and ceramic nesting modules made as part of the Derwent Estuary little penguin project. Exhibitions include Light at Contemporary Art Tasmania (2020), I Know You Are There at TMAG’s Bond Store (2021), and Older? Wiser? Stronger? at Devonport Regional Gallery (2022). (2019 CV · SOHO Arts · Jane Bamford · CAT annual report · Beaker Street · Devonport Regional Gallery)

Solo exhibitions

Exhibitions

• Older? Wiser? Stronger? — Devonport Regional Gallery, Devonport (24 September 2022 – 12 November 2022) (Devonport Regional Gallery)
• I Know You Are There — TMAG Bond Store (Beaker Street Festival), Hobart (until 31 August 2021) (Beaker Street · Handmark archive)
• Light — Contemporary Art Tasmania, Hobart (7 March 2020 – 5 April 2020) (CAT annual report)
• Parallel Paths — Handmark Gallery, Hobart (2016) (2019 CV)
• Bunker Gallery, Coffs Harbour (2013) (2019 CV)
• In the Land of Wonders? — Handmark Gallery, Hobart (2012) (2019 CV)
• Nasienie II — Galleria Norsu, Helsinki, Finland (2009) (2019 CV)
• Gallery Can Can, Lonstrup, Denmark (2008) (2019 CV)
• Futon Ya San, Auckland, New Zealand (2005) (2019 CV)
• ArteMano, Winterthur, Switzerland (2004) (2019 CV)
• Galleria Ofeigur, Reykjavik, Iceland (2001) (2019 CV)

Group exhibitions

Selected group

• Tasmania Makes 25 — Design Tasmania, Launceston (24 January 2025 – 31 May 2025) (Design Tasmania)
• Ceramics Triennial Exhibition — Handmark Gallery, Hobart (2019) (2019 CV)
• Seek. Clay. Make — Kerrie Lowe Gallery, Sydney (2013) (2019 CV)
• Agathons Party, Iloa-Joy — Gallery Coppersmithy, Fiskars, Finland (2013) (2019 CV)
• Ceramega 2012 — Art Center of Voipaala, Valkeakoski, Finland (2019 CV)
• Rautarouvat (Iron Ladies) — Gallery Coppersmithy, Fiskars, Finland (1 October 2011 – 8 January 2012) (2019 CV · Onoma archive)
• Opposite Poles — Artisan Gallery, Robigana, Tasmania (2010) (2019 CV)
• 10th Anniversary Kohila International Ceramics Symposium, Tallinn, Estonia (2010) (2019 CV)
• Eldens magi / Magic of Fire — Rockstadmuseet, Arvika, Sweden (2009) (2019 CV)
• Experience Finland — Bistolfi Showroom, Roma, Italy (2009) (2019 CV)
• Fiskars Design Village — Centro Cultural Santo Domingo, Oaxaca, Mexico (2009) (2019 CV)
• Fiskars Design Village — Museo Franz Mayer, Mexico City, Mexico (2008) (2019 CV)
• Fiskars Design Village — Centro Cultural Clavijero, Morelia, Mexico (2008) (2019 CV)
• Dialogue — National Gallery of Arts, Tirana, Albania (2007) (2019 CV)
• World Ceramic Biennale, Ichon, South Korea (2007) (2019 CV)
• Fiskars Design Village — Ozone Living Design Center, Tokyo, Japan (2006) (2019 CV)
• Fiskars Design Village — Koumi-Machi Kougen Museum of Art, Koumi, Japan (2006) (2019 CV)
• Fiskars Design Village — Mediateque, Sendai, Japan (2006) (2019 CV)
• Elite-Tile 2006 — Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo (2019 CV)
• Sato / Harvest — Fiskars Granery, Fiskars, Finland (2006) (2019 CV)
• Ceramega 04 — Art Center of Voipaala, Valkeakoski, Finland (2004) (2019 CV)
• World Ceramic Biennale, Ichon, South Korea (2001) (2019 CV)
• Klar Form / Clear Form — Ekebyhovs Slott, Stockholm, Sweden (2000) (2019 CV)
• Cup 2000, 2nd International Triennale of Ceramics — Museum of Applied Arts, Belgrade (2019 CV)

Commissions

Commissions

• Little Penguin Nesting Modules — Derwent Estuary, Tasmania (with IMAS, Birdlife Tasmania) (2021–24) (Jane Bamford)
• 3-metre fire sculpture — Australian Ceramics Triennale, PW1, Hobart (with Selena de Carvalho) (2019) (SOHO Arts)
• 200-piece dinner set, hand-built porcelain in cold lustre — MONA, Hobart (2014) (2019 CV)
• Panels for Oyster Bar — MONA, Hobart (2014) (2019 CV)
• Pentagon, teepee top — MONA, Hobart (2012) (2019 CV)
• Elite-Tile — Igneri Foundation, Dominican Republic (2006) (2019 CV)
• Elite-Tile — Igneri Foundation, Dominican Republic (2002) (2019 CV)
• Verwandlungskreis firing sculpture (with Joergen Hansen) — Berlin, Germany (2002) (2019 CV)

Collections and commissions — 2019 CV records

The artist’s 2019 CV groups these entries under “Collections and commissions”. Named commissions are listed above.

• Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Hobart (2012, 2014) (2019 CV)
• WOCEF (World Ceramic Exposition Foundation), South Korea (2001) (2019 CV)
• Igneri Foundation, Dominican Republic (2002, 2006) (2019 CV)
• Väkevä Maa / Terra Artis Sculpture Parks, Finland (2005) (2019 CV)