Thomas Woltmann — Helligkilden
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
Helligkilden by Thomas Woltmann is a ceramic clad water fountain inspired by Skanderborg’s ‘holy fountain’ – a natural groundwater stream found on Denmark’s Jutland peninsula. The original water source was considered holy by pilgrims, providing purification to those who drank from its iron rich source. This same iron rich composition has been lifted from streams in Helsingør, refined and mixed with natural ochres to create colours and pigments – resulting in the deep black and earthy yellows that adorn the glazed ceramic surfaces. Much like the original pilgrims, small ceramic bowls allow visitors to drink from Helligkilden, grounding Woltmann’s work within a larger historical and geographical context.
PROJECT QUOTE:
“Just as you have the ground water pouring out of the earth at the original source in Skanderborg, I wanted the water to flow over the ceramic surfaces, allowing visitors to drink from it as they would from the ‘holy fountain’.”
Material and dimensions:
Ceramic, MDF, Mechanical Pump.
47 x 47 x 87cm.
Year:
2026
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Benjamin Lund
LONG DESCRIPTION:
Helligkilden continues Thomas Woltmann’s studies into natural earth based pigments through form-giving and function. Inspired by a natural stream at Lake Skanderborg – sought out by pilgims centuries ago, Woltmann has lifted natural ochres from Danish waterways that share the mineral composition to that of the ‘holy fountain’. Rich in iron, the ground water creates a discolouration of surrounding stone surfaces when exposed to oxygen, turning grey rocks a deep orange-red colour. This phenomenon is mirrored in Helligkilden through the use of high gloss glazes created from the same natural iron and ochres – a black exterior shifting to muted yellows where water interacts with the ceramic surfaces. The form of Helligkilden is deliberately architectural and geometric, with large planes allowing Woltmann’s natural pigmentations to become the hero. Through the use of small ceramic vessels, visitors are able to taste the same iron rich water consumed by pilgrims centuries ago, with Woltmann utilising the original water source as the final element within the presentation of Helligkilden.
DESIGNER BIO:
Thomas Woltmann.
Designer, born 1993.
Working from an old industrial building within Copenhagen’s Amager district, the practice of designer Thomas Woltmann is juxtaposed against its urban setting through an inseparable link to the rolling hills and winding waterways of the Danish countryside. These rural environments act as a close collaborator through the union of Woltmann’s designed objects with natural materials and colours – a particular focus on ochre and natural earth pigments lifted from the Danish landscape. While a primary source of pigmentation stems from ochre slurry – a 100% natural, iron-rich bi- product of drinking water filtration, Woltmann also collects natural ochre contaminants directly from streams and rivers – in turn assisting local marine environments to re-oxygenate and re-generate. While his designed forms are architectural and archetypal in nature; prominent extended surfaces and planes act as a canvas for his studies in colour, Woltmann expertly intertwines historical and cultural reference points that ground his work within their context of place and time. Alongside furniture and objects developed in collaboration with producers and galleries, Woltmann founded Pigmenta Works – a company dedicated to refining and scaling natural colours and pigments through collaboration and industry.
EDUCATION:
2024: MA, Furniture Design, The Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2018: BA, Man and Leisure, Design Academy Eindhoven, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
GRANTS & HONOURS:
2026: Working Grant, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2026: Working Grant, The National Banks Anniversary Foundation, Denmark.
2026: Working Grant, Grosserer L.F. Foghts Foundation, Denmark.
2025: Working Grant and Mentorship, DUKE, The Young Artistic Elite, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2025: Working Grant, Pigmenta Works, Innofounder, Innovation Foundation Denmark, Denmark.
2025: Working Grant, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2025: Project Grant, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2025: Young Idea Award, Løvskal Ochre, Danish Design Awards, Denmark.
2025: Working Grant, The National Banks Anniversary Foundation, Denmark.
2025: Working Grant, Grosserer L.F. Foghts Foundation, Denmark.
2024: New Talent Award, Løvskal Ochre, Bo Bedre Awards, Denmark.
2024: Project Grant, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2021: Winner, Re-C, Bolia Design Awards, International.
2021: Working Grant, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2020: Project Grant, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
EXHIBITIONS:
2026: Solo Exhibition, Ochre Works, Officinet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2025: Solo Exhibition, From Earth to Earth, Driftskontoret and Bruunshåb Cardboard Factory, Viborg, Denmark.
2025: Group Exhibition, Perronen, Biennale for Craft and Design, Glas, Ebeltoft, Denmark.
2023: Group Exhibition, Wave Collection, Ukurant, 3daysofdesign, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2021: Temporary Public Installation, Valley Resources, Walking Landscapes, Metropolis, Vejle, Denmark.
COMMISSIONS & COLLABORATIONS:
2026: Bird Bath, Innenkris, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2024: Wave Collection, Vero International, Milan, Italy.
WEBSITE:
INSTAGRAM: