I am based in Cape Town, South Africa, and recently moved into a new studio space that will serve as the heartbeat of the Jan Ernst brand.
In this space, I would like different creative fields to come together through the celebration of design, art, photography, and fashion.
The idea is for the studio to be an ever-evolving space, not only for my own work, but to invite other artists and designers to collaborate and exhibit.
Jan Ernst started in August 2020 – a lockdown love child. Before my career in ceramics, I practiced as an architect, but felt frustrated by the bureaucracy and admin of something that could be far more expressive.
I create art as way of telling stories of places that leave an impression on me, usually a natural landscape. These places all have very specific identities related to climatic conditions, natural changes that have happened over time and the way people have manipulated these environments.
The work has evolved quite a lot over the last 2 years. What started out as something that could be described as biomimicry changed into pieces with more abstract concepts. I felt the need to dive deeper into themes that link us [human beings] to nature. These include ideas related to time and birth.
Sometimes I also like to just have fun and create fantasy creatures inspired by nature with no deep meaning.
My work is often described as collectible design or functional art. Most of the pieces I create have some function, be it lighting or furniture. Personally, I do not like to define my work as art or design as I think it sits comfortably between these two worlds and should be appreciated in that way.
I really admire the work of J McDonald. He has a fascinating way of interpreting the world around him and expresses it in a variety of mediums. What’s interesting about his approach is the combination of organic and geometric forms and the seamless manner he marries them. There is of course the functional component to almost everything he makes that excites the architect in me.
Staying motivated isn’t always easy. Apart from the artistic process that can be frustrating at times, there is also the admin of running a business. That combined with socio-economic issues like the shortage of electricity in South Africa can cloud the beauty of artistic development.
To stay motivated I need a routine – I think it’s more about “showing up” to get going and then finding momentum in an environment that inspires you. Apart from routine, appreciation also fuels my fire – not just an appreciation for the work we create, but an appreciation for the craft, talent, and dedication from the people that make things happen around us.
My favourite piece is Womb light 01 .
It pays homage to the dual concepts of birth as the human genesis and fire as instrumental to the survival of the species. It forms part of the Womb collection that evokes our deep-seated feelings of 'the primal' and unlocks the unknown potential that is hidden in the cavities of our world while celebrating life through luminescence.
The pieces were inspired by the majestic rock formations found in the Cederberg region dating back thousands of years. Walking these ancestral grounds prompts a feeling of reverence and mystique for the people who once inhabited the interleaving Stadsaal Caves [Townhall Caves]. Tremendous voids and cracks shaped by the natural elements created shelter for the first humans who settled in this region.
I was fascinated and humbled to witness such signs of life depicted through intricate murals on the cave walls. This moment spent in the caves was a revelation for me on both a personal and artistic level, and a trigger for the new collection.”
