Anna-Lisa Thomson

ANNA-LISA THOMSON (1905-1952)

Anna-Lisa Thomson son was born in the southern Sweden town of Karlskrona. She received formal training at the University College of Arts, Crafts, and Design in Stockholm. 

Anna-Lisa began her notable career at Upsala-Ekeby ceramic factory in 1933. Her work was considered innovative in testing new materials and decorative techniques. She developed a signature style with simple, clean forms. Inspiration often came from nature or bodies of water.

Anna-Lisa Thomson is perhaps best known for the 1948 series "Paprika" (Peppers), with its slender, tapering vases. The series is characterized by glazed white or green, lance-shaped leaves, which offer a striking contrast to the unglazed surface. The series was manufactured using the sgrafitto technique, where a sharp object is used to carve a pattern in a glazed surface. Paprika became the best-selling series in Upsala-Ekeby’s history.

She also was a notable painter, and towards the end of Anna-Lisa’s life, she moved towards a deeply personal, surrealistic style inspired by her summer stays in the west coast of Sweden. In 1952, Anna-Lisa's career was cut short by an early passing at age 46. The “Anna-Lisa Thomson Memorial Foundation" was formed, and awards annual grants to promising female artists.