Jan Nardini

Jan is interested in making sculptures for interiors which create intrigue and joy. She has come to ceramics and glass from a background in fine art and a career in advanced technology. Fascinated by the medium of clay, she completed a BA in Ceramic Design at Central Saint Martin’s (University of the Arts London) with distinction. She has worked internationally throughout her career and takes a deep interest in cross- cultural influences and how these are reflected in creative expression. Studying at the RCA has enabled Jan to combine the visual language of ceramics and glass.

Jan is based in Oxfordshire and is influenced by the natural world. She enjoys exploring locations to extract ‘wild’ clay for her works. Her current series is influenced by her interest in caves, the geology of rocks and ceramic materials from the Peak District, formed underground over millions of years.

.She believes that, over the centuries, ceramics has been key to the formation of societies as well as reflecting cultural identity.

Jan’s collection of work centres around rocks inspired by the geology and landscape of the north of England. Millions of years ago, when the earth’s plates across Asia, Europe and Africa collided, they formed land -mass and mesmerising rock formations in caves and above ground.

Rocks are symbolic of strength yet fragile and unpredictable. From precious minerals to boulders, rocks contain the DNA of their journey of formation.

Jan has slip- cast rocks from the Peak District in fine translucent Parian porcelain. These jar against monumental extruded sculptural forms are reminiscent of towering mine shafts. They are an ode to lives dedicated to working underground. Interior furniture in the form of small decorative side tables evoke the undulations of the landscape and underground labyrinths.