Bettunika launched earlier this year as a hobby. Based in Copenhagen, Betina Jørgensen makes slightly off-kilter cups, mugs, and vases all in the signature Scandi pastels. Think: whimsical tea cups and saucers painted with vibrant checks and daisies, or unconventional vases with a hole in the center, decorated in hand-painted fluffy pink clouds. The appeal of Bettunika is the handmade quality, with an extra dose of craftiness and child-like color. Nothing about Bettunika’s pieces is too precise or too careful, and that’s part of the reason why every single Bettunika ceramic is unique, with many selling out in a matter or seconds.
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Each time the brand’s Instagram account (the only place you’ll be able to buy from Bettunika) posts a piece, it sells out almost instantaniously. And despite the messages and comments on their Instagram (with over 47k followers) begging for pre-orders or a webshop, Jørgensen is sticking to selling through social media—all handled by her daughter, model Marie Wibe Jedig.
“My daughter is in charge of everything online and I feel we’re found a mutual agreement that Instagram is the way the products sell right now,” explains Jørgensen, the 53 year-old woman behind the brand. “We’re lucky enough to sell everything within a couple of minutes so a webshop would just be too much unnecessary trouble.”
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Before launching her ceramics line, Jørgensen worked at schools in her small, local town in Denmark as a teacher and a principal. We caught up with the designer to hear what inspires her, what’s next for her and how she came up with some of her signature designs.
What inspired you to make the very first piece?
I worked very intuitively and my first inspiration was really just about getting to know the material. Suddenly a shape appears and I work around it to create a real functional shape. I’ve come across ceramics several different times throughout the years—first in art class due to my teacher’s education. I’ve been fascinated with and drawn towards ceramics since the first time I worked with clay. A few years ago I decided to give it a try on a hobby level and decorated an old children’s room in our house as a small atelier with a kiln to fire in. One of my daughters has worked in the fashion industry for a long time and saw potential in my pieces and together we decided to create Bettunika. Since then, everything has been quite crazy and I now have customers all around the world.
Why is it important that every piece is unique?
The Bettunika pieces are a part of me and it’s so important as a part of my process that every step feels authentic and real. I need the ceramics to show the real me and I do that by working very passionately and lovingly in every product I make. Therefore I’ve decided to make everything by hand and that gives every piece a unique expression.
Where do you find inspiration?
My environment in general—shapes, colors and people. The cloud print is one of the most popular styles.
What’s the story behind it?
My daughter sent me a picture on Snapchat of a light blue summer sky with clouds on it, with a drawing around every cloud defining the shape—we used to do this with my daughters when they were kids and I thought it might be a cute touch to use a cloudy summer sky painting in my ceramics.
What are your favorite pieces to make?
I love shaping—that’s probably why I keep coming back to my torso vases as a real favorite activity favorite of mine. Creating a connection between color and shape never gets boring for me.
Why do you think your pieces became so popular instantly when you launched the brand?
I believe my presentation of products have consistently been aesthetically pleasing and very much in line with trends thanks to my daughter and creative partner. Also, ceramics is such an eternal art form and I do see a trend in investing in unique quality pieces made with love.
What's next for you?
I just finished the last samples of a very exciting design collaboration that I look very much forward to be able to tell more about! I’m so happy and overwhelmed by all my current success and I try my best to keep up with the expectations and continue to develop Bettunika!
