Debut solo show for ceramicist

AFTER nearly a decade of being part of Ballarat’s visual arts scene, a ceramicist is set to launch her first-ever solo exhibition this weekend.

Jan Alexander’s Space between Movement will see between 20 and 30 of her works on display at Ross Creek Gallery from tomorrow until Sunday 16 June.

A student of yoga and meditation from her late teens, Alexander is inspired by East Asian ceramic design and the tidal landscape of her hometown region of the Mornington Peninsula.

She said the show will highlight a key theme in her work.

“I’m really interested in patterns of behaviour, reflecting of course myself and people, and what happens in daily life and how we’re often distracted by so many things,” she said. “I’m interested in not being subject to the same old rhythms and dynamics imposed on others and ourselves and getting to the heart of things. It’s about exploring what is our true nature.

“We’re conscious of so many things but we can be unconscious of so many causes and actions and reactions. There’s a stillness behind the five senses and that’s what I gravitate towards.”

Using recycled and white clay, Alexander’s pieces range from shino pieces and glossed works which she handcrafted using the kiln at Federation University’s Camp Street campus, which she practices out of as an alumna in residence.

“A lot of themes emanate from the bay, from the Mornington Peninsula,” she said.

“One thing I like about the gloss glaze is it can sit in the same position in a home but its characteristics will change with the light.

“Each piece is an individual and there’s the potential for contemplation. It’s about seeing where the flow takes you and often it’s a surprise.”

Alexander said her debut solo show is made more significant due to its setting.

“I’d always wanted to do ceramics since I was a young child,” she said. “When I came up here, I’d been working with Fed Uni for 20 years and was aware Pete Pilven ran a Saturday class.

“I finally jumped on that in 2015 and loved it. I then enrolled in his course for the Graduate Diploma of Ceramics which I completed in 2022 under Koji Hoashi.

“To have the connection with [Pete Pilven’s daughter] Ruby’s studio, it’s another keynote in that connection for my first solo exhibition.

“I feel like I’m nurtured a little bit within family.”

Ross Creek Gallery is open from 11am to 4pm, Fridays to Sundays, or by appointment.