With a unique collaboration, ‘Lebenshilfe Gmunden’ and Gmundner Keramik show how art and inclusion can work together. The creative talents of ‘Lebenshilfe Gmunden’ created handmade designs for crockery and individual pieces, which were produced by our apprentices. This resulted in original unique pieces such as mugs, plates and cups, which are now being auctioned off as part of the ORF ‘Licht ins Dunkel’ campaign.

Every year since 1973, Austrian Broadcasting has used this campaign to draw attention to aid projects and uses the proceeds to support people with disabilities as well as families and children in difficult life situations.

The collaboration with Gmundner Keramik offers the Lebenshilfe artists a special opportunity to gain new experiences and present their works to a wide audience. ‘Our art group is one of the best in Europe in the field of art by people with disabilities,’ emphasises Gerhard Scheinast, Managing Director of Lebenshilfe Upper Austria. The cooperation allows the artists to fully realise their creativity and at the same time gain a deep insight into the traditional craftsmanship that goes into every single piece.

The very first visit to the manufactory in Gmunden was characterised by curiosity and enthusiasm. The fascinating process of ceramic production – from the raw material to the finished service – opened up a new world for the participants. ‘Ceramics are beautiful, but you have to be careful. Clay can break easily,’ says Christian, one of the artists, describing his experience with awe.

The talents were given a completely free hand when creating their designs – the only source of inspiration was the overarching theme of ‘winter’.

Daniela, one of the artists, already had clear ideas at the start: ‘I could imagine fir trees, snowflakes or Skier as motifs.’ Her colleague Sophie, on the other hand, planned to incorporate her favourite colours rose red, pink and petrol into her designs.

The designs were then realised by the apprentices at Gmundner Keramik. They worked with the utmost precision to transfer the creators‘ visions to the “white gold”. Each piece is a testimony to the successful fusion of art and creativity, traditional craftsmanship and social commitment.

The cooperation between ‘Lebenshilfe Gmunden’ and Gmundner Keramik is an impressive example of how inclusion is put into practice and how much strength there is in community involvement. Their message: everyone has the potential to create something great. ‘We gave the artists complete creative freedom,’ explains Alexander Köck, authorised signatory of Gmundner Keramik. ‘It’s fascinating to see how they express their ideas in original designs.’ Jürgen Blematl from the auction platform Aurena is also convinced that the ceramic works will be met with great enthusiasm: ‘Unique pieces by artists always have a special appeal. We expect these works to realise a multiple of the regular auction value.’

The pieces were available for bidding until 8 November 2024. As a special highlight, the ‘Green Snowboarder’ will be auctioned off as part of the ‘Licht ins Dunkel’ gala on 15 November.

With this extraordinary project, Gmundner Keramik is not only setting an example for artistic diversity, but also inspiring many others to get involved together where support is most urgently needed.