Jane's work explores human experience through the magical, mysterious and sacred. It calls to our common humanity through form and surface. Our earliest ancestors first shaped their environment by shaping and coiling the earth. Working with these ancient methods, engaging with the earth itself, I’m connecting with our distant, common past. Each rhythmic placing of a coil brings a deeper engagement. The ephemeral nature and limited palette of smoke firing are a perfect vehicle for these enquiries. Smoke is a natural dye permeating the surface in a live way that calls for sensitivity. Working with it means that my work retains a live persona. A deep fascination for indigenous cultures, legends, folk art and tribal art have been with me since childhood, fostered by many visits to the Cambridge museums and prehistoric sites.
