Maija Grotell

Maija Grotell was an innovative Finnish-American ceramicist and educator who made important contributions to the development of pottery as a contemporary art form. Born in Helsinki, Finland, Grotell’s passion for ceramics led her to immigrate to the United States in 1927. After settling in New York City, she displayed an early interest in pioneering novel techniques in glaze formulation. Grotell’s style combined Scandinavian influences with modernist principles, resulting in elegant, functional pieces. Her early work often employed art deco motifs. As her career progressed, she gravitated away from overpainted surfaces and towards dynamic textures resulting from her unique glazing techniques themselves. She was an accomplished ceramics teacher, having served as the head of the ceramics department at the Cranbrook Academy of Art from 1938 – 1966. Her work is prized by institutions including the Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Header image: Maija Grotell, 1947, photography by Harvey Croze. Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives, Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.

Maija Grotell, vase circa 1942 from Cranbrook Museum of Art collection
Maija Grotell. Vase, circa 1942. Stoneware. 20 x 11 ⅛ inches. Collection Cranbrook Art Musuem. Gift of Mrs. Benjamin Micou in memory of Maija Grotell.
Maija Grotell, vase circa 1940-1942 from Cranbrook Museum of Art collection
Maija Grotell. Vase, circa 1940–1942. Stoneware; Albany slip over unglazed clay. 21 ½ x 8 ¼ inches. Collection Cranbrook Art Museum.
Maija Grotell, vase circa 1943 or earlier from Cranbrook Museum of Art Collection
Maija Grotell. Vase, circa 1943 or earlier. Platinum design on unglazed blue stoneware. 13 ½ x 14 inches. Collection Cranbrook Art Museum. Gift of George Gough Booth and Ellen Scripps Booth through The Cranbrook Foundation.