Jan Alexander

Acknowledgement of Country

I respectfully acknowledge the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which I live, work, and create. I honour their enduring connection to Country, community, and cultural expression, and pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging. I extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Melbourne-born ceramic artist Jan Alexander draws on the history, philosophy, and aesthetics of East Asian ceramics, informed by a longstanding connection to the natural world.

Now based in Ballarat, on Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung Country, her practice explores rhythm, movement, and the ripple effect, tracing the subtle interplay between human gesture, material response, and environment.

Working from her home studio and as an Honorary Alumni Artist in Association at Federation University, Jan engages deeply with form, structure, surface, firing and glaze to create hand-built ceramics.

Embracing process and uncertainty, her work results in nuanced, unrepeatable pieces shaped slowly over time. Each work embodies a quiet dialogue between reflection and expression, inviting thoughtful connection between the viewer and the piece.

Jan completed a Graduate Diploma of Ceramics at Federation University, Ballarat, under the mentorship of Peter Pilven and Koji Hoashi.

Image “Spirit” stoneware vessel, H19 x W10cm

The exhibited triptych “Family I, II & III” presents three Shino-glazed vessels as a meditation on relational dynamics.

Two taller forms suggest stability and complementary roles; the smaller, manipulated vessel introduces tension, vulnerability, and care.

Their shared, unpredictably nuanced surface unites them, while subtle variations reveal individual presence, reflecting how belonging coexists with distinct identity.

About the Glaze

Fired in a heavy reduction atmosphere, the carbon-trap Shino glaze records an oxygen-limited environment in which free carbon settles onto the surface. This process produces smoky greys, deep blacks, and subtle iron spotting, revealed through the clay body’s naturally high iron content.

The resulting surfaces are richly variegated, capturing the interplay of soot, heat, and atmospheric conditions in a dynamic, textured visual field.

Each vessel bears these traces uniquely, reflecting the inherent unpredictability of the firing process and the collaboration between material, form, and kiln.

“Family I, II & III”
Tryptich, stoneware vessels, heavy-reduction fired, Shino glaze
Dimensions: I & II - H 31 × D 11cm; III - H 24 × D 11cm

Alexander, Jan "As It Was Meant” vessels, hand-sculpted, Shino and oxide, heavy reduction stoneware

Jan Alexander, hand built and painted bowl, white and pale blue, gloss glaze, mid fired stoneware

Jan Alexander, "Sapphire" SOLD sculpted stoneware bowl with four feet, ultramarine gloss glazes

Jan Alexander, large round, elevated stoneware bowl, hand formed, white glaze with blue markings Diam28 x H11 cm

Jan Alexander, large round, elevated stoneware bowl, hand formed, white glaze with blue design

Jan Alexander, wheel and hand built, sculpted rounded vessel with four feet. Blue gloss glaze mid fired stoneware

Jan Alexander, sm dish with three feet, stoneware, blue + white glaze

Jan Alexander, three conical vessels/vases, one large, two small, Shino glazes, high fired stoneware. Two small are Sold.

Jan Alexander, stoneware vase, sculpted and patterned, blue gloss glazes, mid fired stoneware

Jan Alexander, three sculpted conical vessels/vases, Shino glazed, two dark/mirrored with copper tones, third orange clay tones, high fired stoneware

Jan Alexander, vase/sculpture, hand manipulated stoneware, blue gloss glazes

Jan Alexander, two rippled vases, ultramarine gloss glazes

Jan Alexander, hand formed vessel, Shino glazes

Jan Alexander, hand formed stoneware vase, sculpted and patterned, blue gloss glazes, mid fired stoneware. Sold

Jan Alexander, "homeless" stoneware vase, hand formed & patterned, blue gloss glazes

Alexander, Jan Two carved, squared vessels Shino glazes, one has carved arched feet and is Sold.

Jan Alexander, stoneware vases , sculpted and patterned, blue gloss glazes

Jan Alexander, small, thrown bowl, blue with white glaze, stoneware

Jan Alexander, small bowls, matching small cup: black/white; blue/white

Jan Alexander, two decorated, dark clay conical vessels, one with lid, stoneware

Jan Alexander, high fired cups, multiple Shino glazes.

Alexander, Jan, stoneware, hand sculpted vessels, cobalt glaze, L “Waves of silence” H26 x W11 x D11 cm Sold. R “Silent tides” H23 x W10 x D10 cm Sold

My work alludes to our Earth’s inherent temporary and permanent undulations created by the movement of wind, and or, water currents. These currents become visible within the ocean, across its surface, upon it’s floor; in cloud formations, geological structures and sand dunes - to name a few.

The patterns formed by these currents are mesmerising, quietening, and are distinguished by their own unique, rhythmic beauty of balance, uniformity of flow and the juxtaposition where ornamental repetition breaks, or simply falls away.

The forms are meant to be touched, to be held, and visually imply a subjective invitation for one’s mind to settle into rest.

Abundance I & II
Stoneware vessels, heavy-reduction fired, Shino glazes, H32 × D10 cm each.

Shaped through a thoughtful exploration of process, these vessels reflect an evolving engagement with layered Shino surfaces. Shifts in tone and texture arise through sustained attention to form and firing, where heavy reduction introduces elements of unpredictability into the final outcome.

Brunswick Street Gallery
Level 1 & 2, 322 Brunswick Street
Wurundjeri Country, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Australia

Tue–Sat 10am–5pm
Sun 11am–4pm
Closed Mondays

Jan was one of six ceramic artists commissioned in 2024 and again in 2025 to create hand-crafted dining plates for The Great Takeaway: Dine and Take, curated by Creative City Ballarat - within the program for Craft Lab Ballarat.

Ceramic artworks were also contributed for display in both years.

Stoneware dining plates for The Great Takeaway events

2024 — theme: “A Patch of Blue”

2025 — theme: “Story and Yellow”

Vale Peter Pilven
28th April 1956 – 18th December 2024

Peter Pilven was an inspiring artist and generous mentor whose guidance profoundly shaped my practice. I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from him. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and the creative community who carry his memory forward.

Beasts opening Gallery 10, May 2024

photo Linda Franklin

Ceramic blue bowl repaired with copper wire & found quartz + textile quilted discarded tea towel with local property guide. Collaboration with Jem Olsen speaking to societal shifts impacting sense of place, connection & self.

FINALIST – 2024 Infuse Art Prize Ross Creek Gallery

Textile artist Jem Olsen and I were honoured to be finalists for the 2024 Infuse Art Prize with Reclaimed, a collaborative work exploring identity, belonging, and societal change. My “fractured” ceramic piece embodies transformation and resilience, while Jem’s textile work critiques the commodification of home. Together, Reclaimed invites reflection on personal identity, societal values, and the ethical dimensions of home and connection.