Malene Helbak thinks in a fun and yet extremely functional way without getting complicated. All the colours of her crockery ? and there?s a vast range ? harmonise with each other! The patterns all match brilliantly. There are inexhaustible possibilities of combinations, whether you are looking for the ideal tableware to serve fruit muesli and juice or scones, jam and tea; whether it is just a small snack or a great dinner, hot soup or a quick sandwich in front of the TV. Even the potted herbs on the kitchen windowsill or the small bunch of flowers on the desk ? they all appear joyfully on Malene Helbak?s ceramics. And all this with the intelligence apparent in the mind behind this wonderful crockery; a young designer, who translates her high spirits, her keen sense of shapes and colours and her appreciation for the practical directly into her products.

In the 90s, Malene Helbak honed her skills at the Arts and Crafts College in Kolding, Denmark, at the Central St. Martin?s College of Art and Design in London and at the Penn State University in Pennsylvania, USA. For three years she worked as a designer for the LEGO group. With the new century she founded her own studio where she now designs and manufactures her own dishes and décor. Since the summer of 2006 she has shared a studio and small store with Mette Scherning in the heart of Copenhagen. However, the success of her ceramics is increasingly crossing borders.

Text & Photos copyright Schnuppe von Gwinner/ craft2eu