Jacob Chan
Using a combination of wheel thrown and figurative vessels, Jacob creates bodies of work that are heavily influenced by his cultural background and heritage. Fired in his soda gas kiln, which reaches a top temperature of 1300 degrees Celsius, allows him to achieve a range of deep colours and surface textures.
Being half Chinese and half English, Jacob takes inspiration from traditional oriental shapes and mythical figures which inform his choice of forms and surface decoration. Within the figurative parts of his work, Jacob includes pieces of natural slate and broken pottery that have been collected from around the coastlines and mountain ranges of Britain. He uses these materials to represent his Western culture and cultural journey in a creative form.
Which material(s) did you use from Golden Earth Studio? How did you incorporate it into your work?
The materials I have incorporated into my work supplied by Golden Earth Studio have been the clay, British library brick and tiles that have been used on the house. The clay has been used at a range of different blended percentages with Reduction St Thomas supplied by Potclays.
The main percentage I’ve used to create a body of work has been a 60/40 blend, Wimbledon clay dominant which has allowed the clay to be fired to a peak temperature of about 1250.
The British library brick and roof tiles have been ground down and used as a grog within the clay body which has
resulted in a range of different surface effects throughout the various firings
How did the origin of the material tie in with your existing philosophy?
The origin of the material has tied in nicely with my philosophy, as my standard work consists of natural and found materials gathered from around the coastlines of Britain. I do this as it subtly represents my western culture.
The materials are used within the clay body and upon surface decoration to accentuate key features such as a spine or shoulder blade within the figurative work.
In what aspects did the material inform your art works?
Having always worked with natural materials, it has been a great way to experiment with the use of a new material and
allow it to dictate the way in which my finished work ends up.