Astrid Specht Seeberg | Shark Moon Tail, Star Night Swim

Astrid Specht Seeberg’s ceramic works add a tactile, almost dreamlike quality to the exploration of the sea’s many meanings. Her pieces, both in a concrete and symbolic manner, revolve around creatures of the sea, bringing us closer to nature’s raw, unpredictable force. She describes an encounter with a fantastic, almost surreal creature— a hybrid fish of forms and genders, gazing at her with an eternal grin.

“Sitting by the water I once was lucky enough to encounter a fish swimming into my hands. On its head it had the bubbles of a goldfish, the fins of a fish, but the tail and body of a shark, and the mouth of a whale. I felt it become an extension of my hands as I held it. Hermaphrodite -whale-fish-shark has no need to wonder like I do, it harbors no doubts about its presence. It laughs, and I realize it waits for me to laugh with it.”

- Astrid Specht Seeberg

This creature, existing without doubt or worry, stands in stark contrast to humanity’s eternal search for meaning and tendency to interpret everything. This opposition between the endless sea and the uncertain human psyche forms the core of the artist’s works. The vast and enigmatic sea becomes a symbol of the subconscious—a place filled with emotions and secrets, a realm for metamorphoses, and a place where control and surrender meet. Specht Seeberg’s artistic process can be described as a deep dive beneath the sea’s surface. The more you look at her works – the deeper you dive – the more secrets are revealed in the hidden layers of the glazes. Each detail and each new perspective tell stories of mysteries and reflection, inviting us to explore the wondrous universe she creates.