Karl Monies
The work of
- ArtistKarl Monies
- GalleryEtage Projects
- PhotographerRobert Damisch
SALLY TRIER I first discovered his work walking past Etage Projects by my old workplace, where his pieces were displayed in the window. I kept stopping day after day, wishing I could take one of those beautiful cork-topped vases home. What draws me in are the forms, the materials, and the color combinations - they almost feel like little creatures, each with its own personality. Some are tall and proud, others more clumsy and funny.
About Karl Monies
Danish artist Karl Monies (b. 1984) is based in Copenhagen, where his studio is a layered world of books on mysticism, political revolutions, and craft. Here, ceramics, textiles, and jewellery converge in surprising and poetic ways.
Monies began his artistic journey as a painter, apprenticing with Tal R in Denmark before studying at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam and the Slade School of Fine Art in London. His experiences in Asia, including Guangzhou and Bangkok, further broadened his perspective on art and the possibilities of material.
Today, Monies is particularly recognized for his vessel-based work: pots, urns, and jars crafted in stoneware, often glazed on the inside and topped with oversized corks or wrapped in climbing rope. While functional in concept - they can store, pour, or preserve - they also carry symbolic and ritual significance, evoking memory, protection, and ceremony.
A notable project, Arcana (Etage Projects, Copenhagen, 2019), combined these vessels with textiles such as quilted “prayer mats” and flag-like banners adorned with badges and sashes, creating a sense of ritual and hidden meaning.
Monies also continues the family legacy of the Monies jewellery brand, founded by his parents, Gerda and Nikolai, in 1973. As creative director, he negotiates the balance between honoring that heritage and pursuing his own vision, emphasizing materials, craftsmanship, nature, and sustainability.
What defines Karl Monies’ work is this interplay between past and present, function and ritual, rawness and refinement. His pieces are both intimate and powerful, grounded in universal forms - the vessel, clay, rope - yet suffused with deeply personal resonance.
