Hanne Heuch studied ceramics at Bergen School of Arts and Crafts before graduating from the National College of Art and Design, Oslo in 1979.

The early stages of her career coincided with the emergence of an international expressionist style in art and design; a movement that emphasized a great freedom of expression and use of materials. This was in contrast to the ‘pure and pretty’ expression of Scandinavian design ideology. During this time, Heuch challenged audiences’ perception of ceramic objects, creating sculptural works that were influenced by abstract painting as opposed to traditional ornamentation.

Her work has been described as simple and raw, but also sensitive and monumental with shapes that are viewed as a bold continuation of ceramic tradition, but are also given a personal expressive touch.

Heuch has emphasised that she does not see tradition as a thing of the past. ‘Tradition is vitality, freedom and boldness; beauty, strength and necessity. I try to extract the essence of it, based on my own experiences, both professionally and as a human being.’ For her, the desire to explore within the ceramic tradition has not necessarily been about asking new questions, but about finding new answers. 

From 1988 to 1992 she was Professor and Head of Department at the Bergen Academy of Art and Design. Her work is included in many public and private collections including SKMU Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, Kristiansand and the Museums of Decorative Arts in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim.