Ulaajuk Pottery: Exquisite artisan ceramics and porcelain from Greenland

Ulaajuk Pottery in Nuuk is behind some of the most unique ceramics and porcelain currently made in Greenland. Owner and artist Nuuna Papis Chemnitz creates distinctive designs and mixes her own glazes, using materials sourced locally. Ulaajuk means the ‘well-shaped’ or ‘well-built one’, and each hand-crafted piece is shaped by Nuuna’s very own hands.

“The Inuit tattoo inspired dots are an important part of the identity of my work,” says Nuuna. Some of her porcelain has a very feminine feel and some ceramics are more rustic, but there is a distinctive red thread running through all her work: at the very core, it is a product of her native Greenland.

Porcelain pots with inuit tattoo inspired dots and handmade wooden lids.

Nuuna is born and raised in Greenland, where she lives and works. During May and June this year, she was Artist in Residence at Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Centre in Denmark, where she could cultivate her techniques further. “Inspiration comes to me when I have a piece of clay in my hands,” she explains. “It comes when I am sitting at my potting wheel, or when I am sleeping, or maybe from the peace and calm you find in the nature in Greenland.” The tranquillity, beauty, and clean lines of the landscapes are all reflected in her designs, and both the Inuit background and the Nordic elements of simplicity are evident.

Porcelain with black sand from Qeqertarsuaq.

Each piece is original

Nuuna started throwing clay in 2018 and was hooked from the beginning. She continues to develop her expression and style and is now a full-time artist and ceramicist. “My little oven couldn’t keep up with requests from customers!” she says. Her work is in increasingly high demand, but she only sells from her studio and has no online outlet. There are new products every week and Nuuna works hard to keep her shelves stocked.

Teapot and cup with inuit tatoo inspired dots.

“I don’t do commissions because I want people to feel the product I create and to feel each object in their hands,” she says. “I make everything myself and each piece is, like all of us, created differently.”

If you want to get your hands on one of Nuuna’s individual pieces you must visit her studio in Nuuk. The shop is open at weekends and is, like Nuuna herself, both warm and welcoming, and welcomes people from all over to buy these characteristic, beautiful objects.

Nuuna Papis Chemnitz with one of her latest pieces.

Instagram: @ulaajuk_pottery
Facebook: Ulajuuk Pottery

Ulaajuk Pottery
HJ Rinksvej 1  |  Nuuk, Greenland