Naja Utzon Popov

Naja Utzon Popov is a talented sculptor, textile designer and ceramicist who is internationally oriented in her work. Based in an East London studio, the artist's work is characterised by a deep fascination for the richness of form and colour in nature Naja (pro. Nai-ya) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1973 into a family of artists. Her creative genes are inherited from her grandfather Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect most notable for designing the iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia. Her mother, Lin Utzon, is an eminent Danish artist and her father is acclaimed Australian architect, Alex Popov. Having grown up in a highly creative family, support and encouragement was plentiful. Her childhood years in Denmark have always been an important source of inspiration for her work, as have the years she spent in Australia, where she studied drawing, painting and etching at the Julian Ashton Art School. After moving to England, Utzon Popov continued her formal artistic training at the University of Westminster (2002) School of Media Arts and Design and now lives and works in London. Innately influenced by the wealth of nature around her during her younger years, Naja's style embraces encounters with the environment which have been translated into a collection of sculptures, glassware and hand woven rugs. She has created gravity-defying clay sculptures for the Rosendahl corporate headquarters in Copenhagen and a design for a presentation sculpture to be awarded by the Institute of Architects in Barcelona. A monumental outdoor sculpture entitled 'Gathering', which rises from the ground like ancient columns formed from Welsh slate, was commissioned for the corporate collection of the Danish organisation, Humana. Bespoke retail design projects include an exquisite line of glassware for Zone and two exclusive ranges of high quality floor rugs commissioned by specialist retailer, Forty Thieves in London. She is now launching her own exquisite rug ranges available to buy directly through her. Throughout her career, Naja has produced a collection of work which is tapped directly from the simplicity of nature. Skilled craftsmanship is the pillar of all her design work and using considered earthly materials is essential to all her sculptural concepts.