Jelena Schou Nordentoft - Stilleben

 

Jelena Schou Nordentoft
Jelena Schou Nordentoft graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2000, where she studied ceramics and glass design. Today she lives at an old farmhouse in Espergærde, with her husband Ulrik and their two daughters,. In 2002 she founded Stilleben together with fellow creative Ditte Reckweg, and in 2016 they expanded, and founded Stilleben Architects together with architect Ditlev Rahbek.

Jelena Schou Nordentoft

“The name Stilleben came from the German art concept, referring to placing inanimate objects together, creating an aesthetic expression. Something we wanted to create, that became our signature, in the shop – using carefully selected products, put together to create various moods and expressions of sorts. How the products could lift up or change the expression of each other, simply by how they were mixed together inspired and intrigued us..”

Jelena Schou Nordentoft

“I fell in love with ceramics at Holbæk art school, where I had a fantastic tutor named Sandra Davolio. She opened my eyes to the possibilities of the material and launched a creative process in me. She made raku firings with us at night, a traditional Japanese firing technique when making pottery. An experience that really imprinted itself in me, not only because of the magic that appears in the glaze through the process, but also the fascination with creating something that can exist forever through clay and fire.”

Jelena Schou Nordentoft

” In 2016 we expanded our creative universe. Ditte and I was dreaming of a kitchen for our store on Frederiksborggade, since the kitchen is the heart of every home and it would establish a framework around our kitchen textiles, ceramic -and glass design. Ditlev, our partner in Stilleben Architects, designed a kitchen for Dittes new apartment, and that ended up being just the kitchen that we had dreamt of. And so, the idea of starting a kitchen company together was born.”

Jelena Schou Nordentoft

”Design and aesthetics fill a big part in my life – something I’ve come to realize. It’s like a pair of glasses that I see the world through. Colours, forms, and details that I notice that touches me. It serves as nourishment in my life, like fuel to a car. I can immerse into it, obtain energy from it and evolve from it."

Jelena Schou Nordentoft

”Something I strive to make time for in my every day, as often as I can, is having breakfast with my daughters. The morning hours are normally the easiest time to catch them, before they set o ff to their day. I could undoubtedly be at the o ffice early to get a head start to my day, but sometimes we should just take our time to make that cup of tea and enjoy that quality time together"

Stilleben.dk