You can decorate your own coffee cup!

Text and photo: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Communications

Together with Anne Bente Birkeland at Galleri Farsund and tailor Agnieszka Johansen, who runs Eskas Design, he repeats last year's success and turns Kirkegaten into an art street.

- We are closing the car park between the former Nordea building and Galleri Farsund, and inviting children and adults to an art and culture workshop. The key word is creative joy, says Hvistendahl.

AT THE POTTER you will be able to decorate cups and have them glazed.

- Last year I produced around 100 cups. All disappeared. That's why I'm increasing the number this year, says Hvistendahl, who this year will also be joined by his father - guerrilla artist Jan Hvistendahl.

- Many have probably noticed the small houses that stand on fence posts on various hiking trails in the municipality. During Kaperuka you can come and decorate your own house, says the potter.

He has always liked arts and crafts. But the interest really took off during a stay as an exchange student in Alaska in the second year of high school.

- THERE HAD I ceramics as one of the subjects. I still have the first cup I made. It is so crooked that it can barely stand on the table, he smiles.

Several cups later, he feels more confident in his form expression. As part of the arts and crafts education at what is today Oslo Met, he spent a semester in Oregon in the USA.

- I COULD choosing materials for a project, and ended up with clay. When our professor invited us to a wood-fired bonfire, all the pieces fell into place. I realized that this was what I wanted to do, says Hvistendahl.

After living a vagabond existence for several years, he got a job at an international research center for ceramicists.

BUT NOW IS So he is back in Farsund. He has a workshop and sales wall-to-wall with Galleri Farsund.

In addition to making cups, mugs, vases, jars and much more, he holds ceramics courses.

Hvistendahl likes to try out new materials. And then preferably those who are locally rooted. Several of the coffee cups he makes therefore contain pieces from Håøyflua - an underwater reef in the approach harbor to Farsund that has been blown away to make room for larger ships.

– HÅØYFLUA contains farsundite, which is a term for local granitic rocks. By crushing the stone and mixing that clay, the cups take on a completely different tactility. The glaze will be different. You can see and feel the black and white dots on the cup, says Jan Christian.

He strokes his fingers lightly against the ceramic surface, and points out:

- This is something other than Ikea.