Creativity. Community. Charity
Hi, I am Janet and I first found clay over 25 years ago in an evening class. After a long gap, I rediscovered ceramics in 2018. Since then I completed an Advanced Ceramics course at RHACC. There is so much to learn and experiment with in ceramics and I am curious and constantly exploring new techniques in this medium.
Having lived most of my life outside of Hong Kong where I was born, I am using ceramics to connect with my Chinese heritage. So you will see oriental motifs in my work. Being a city dweller, I am drawn to the vast expanse of the sky and the sea. These are often expressed through the surface decorations on my vessels.
Ceramics brings me closer to communities. I enjoy sharing my love of clay with friends and family from my studio at the back of the garden.
I am fortunate to have found my ‘tribe’ in fellow ceramicists and to be able to indulge in this passion for clay. By way of give-back, I am pleased to volunteer as a committee member for the local art trail Ealing BEAT, working alongside artists across all disciplines. With gratitude, I donate a proportion of sales to charities close to my heart: Alzheimer’s Society & Mind.
How It’s Made
A ball of clay
It all begins with a lump of clay. An idea.
Evolves
With hands. With the pottery wheel. With a rolling pin. With any & many things. To create a form.
Transformed
Through firing at high temperatures. In a special kiln. For a long time. Often twice or more times. A beautiful piece of ceramic emerges.
My work
Fusion
My latest range of work is called Fusion. This range of work is the integration of my Chinese brush painting practice with my ceramics practice. These are hand painted using traditional Chinese brush painting in the spontaneous style, using cobalt oxide on porcelain. Gold lustre is applied onto the ceramics piece and as a result the piece is fired three times in total. The porcelain pieces are mounted onto acrylic sheets and framed.
Seascape
This series is Inspired by the sea. When I think of the sea, I hear the sound of lapping waves and feel the calming rhythm. However I am also conscious of our effect on sea levels and the resulting impact on our future.
I started experimenting with making glazes in the middle of 2020. This series of vases are finished with layers of shiny, matt and crater glazes. The shiny and lava glazes are based on variations from two base glazes and then added to with cobalt oxide and other blue stains for the blues. In addition, there are two different matt turquoise glazes to create the green. They are then applied using a combination of dipping, brushing and spoon dripping to create the dripping effect from the thick lava glazes.
Sculptural forms
In between making functional ware, I make limited series of sculptural forms. The ideas for these sculptural forms often arise from an instinct or emotional reaction. My latest series is called Cognitive Dissonance, which reflects my inner conflict and were created following my role as a key note speaker at a conference sharing views on how to help organisations in the fossil fuel industry to become more profitable.
GALLERY
Some of the work below is currently available at The Malthouse Collective. If you click on the image and it takes you to The Malthouse Collective, please contact them for more information. Other pieces are in my shop or available through direct messaging. Please feel free to contact me using the form below for enquiries.
