Bittl, Petra

First name: 
Petra
Initials: 
P.
Surname: 
Bittl
Year of birth: 
1970
Country of birth: 
Germany
Working period: 
2003
CV: 

Petra Bittl is born in 1970. Her first training as a ceramist was at the vocational school in Landshut, Germany. After qualifying, she did further training at the State Technical College for Ceramics Design in Höhr-Grenzhausen under Wolf Matthes. Since 2003 Petra Bittl has her own studio in Bonn. Since 2013 she is lecturer of surface design at the State College of Ceramics in Höhr-Grenzhausen. Petra has won many prizes, among them the prize of the International Ceramics Biennale Manises, Spain in 2015. Her work has been widely awarded and exhibited in the UK, South Africa, Belgium, Taiwan, China and Australia, as well as all over her native Germany.

The decision, whether to become a painter or a ceramist, was very hard for her. She finally chose to study ceramics, but soon discovered that in creating ceramic-art, she could be both. Her work is painted, scratched, inlaid with porcelain and decorated with slips. The painted elements are simple: circles, spots and lines compliment the hand built and thrown forms rather than destroy them. She has never regretted her decision to take the ceramic route to express her art. This is three dimensional painting and the range of decorative techniques and effects is impressive. She also works in porcelain as well as stoneware clay and these individual pieces have a quite distinct character (text Bevere Gallery).

Images: Petra Bittl, portrait (source Facebook); Petra in her workshop (source Adrienne D); "Pair", photo Thomas Naethe (source Galerie Rosenhauer); "Pair 2" (source new-ceramics.de); detail to show pattern, engobes, stoneware clay and porcelain..