JAAN WOUTERS

My work comes about through an intuitive process of hand-building in which the brute force of the material is key. Shapes are partly guided and partly surrendered to the material and the circumstances of the moment, each time in a different balance. Imperfections and irregularities, such as those found in human beings and nature, are given prominence or emphasis. These irregularities are reflected in the forms, colors and textures of my work. They are, in a way, a reflection of how I see the world. I always find more beauty in decay and anomaly, and I tend to look for peculiarities in people, art or even everyday life. I also aim to bring humour, playfulness and imagination into my work.

I am a self-taught ceramist with a background in cinema set design and photography. My influences include modernist design, brutalism, and non-Western ancient art. Amongst my heroes of the art you find Isamu Noguchi, Brancusi, Mirò, Lee Krasner and many more!