Merja Herzog-Hellstén

Merja Herzog-Hellstén is a lecturer for special assignments at the Offenbach University of Art and Design (HfG Offenbach) and director of the Ceramic Art Laboratory (CAL) at the Höchster Porcelain Manufactory affiliated with the HfG. Born in 1969 in Finland, she studied Ceramic Sculpture at Northern Arizona University, graduating with an MA in Fine Arts in 1993. Since 1994, she has worked as a freelance artist, lecturer, and curator in Germany, focusing on concept-based mixed-media spatial works and situational outdoor sculptures. Her teaching career spans since 1993, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to ceramic art.

Her artistic practice explores tensions within walk-in spaces using visual elements, aiming to document perceptual processes through transformations of form. She has received grants such as the 2014 AEHETTRA project supported by the Frankfurt Cultural Office.

Scientific Awards:

• Main-Kinzig District Cultural Prize (2016)

She has been involved in numerous exhibitions and collaborative projects, including a 2020 exhibition at the Bilderhaus in Frankfurt, showcasing wall panels, acrylic sculptures, and ink paintings that highlight her visual language.