Gudrun Baudisch

Pöls, Styria 1907 - 1982 Salzburg

Gudrun Baudisch was born in Pöls in Styria in 1907. In 1926, after studying sculpture and ceramics at the School of Arts and Crafts in Graz, she joined the ceramics class run by Vally Wieselthier in the Wiener Werkstätte. Soon after, she became one of the most important young female artists and early on started self-confidently producing numerous designs for original ceramics. In 1928 she designed the cover for the publication commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Wiener Werkstätte together with Wieselthier, which is considered one of the most innovative examples of modern book design to this day. In 1930, after leaving the Wiener Werkstätte, Baudisch founded her own ceramics workshop in Vienna and in 1935 helped work on the Austrian pavilion in Brussels. In 1936 she moved to Berlin on account of public commissions for ceiling and wall designs in stucco. In 1945 the artist returned to Austria and opened her own pottery workshop in Hallstatt under the name of ‘Keramik Hallstatt’. Gudrun Baudisch received numerous awards and was honoured with the title of professor in 1961. She died in Salzburg in 1982.