Grove, Jan

Item

Maker Name

Grove, Jan

Biography

After becoming a Master Potter in 1957, Jan and his wife Helga ran a studio in Northern Germany for 3 years . From 1960 to 1965, Jan taught pottery at an art school in Istanbul, Turkey. The couple immigrated to Canada in 1965, setting up their first studio in Colwood (1966) and later in Metchosen (1990) near Victoria. Jan specialized in wheel-throwing and glazes, featuring 5 solid colours for production work (nickel blue, brown, copper green, night blue and cobalt blue) and blended colours and experimental textures for special studio work. Helga focused on applying geometric designs and sgraffito markings - including her Fable Animal motif - to plates and vessels mostly made by Jan . The couple each produced distinctly different types of large ceramic sculpture. While both were inspired by human and animal forms, Jan made futuristic lifeforms composed of wheel-thrown components and Helga, fantasy animal-like figures made of undecorated slab construction with deep sgraffito markings.
Initially Jan used local clays, but for most of his career used commercial clays to produce high fired earthenware.
Jan taught pottery in his studio, at the University of Victoria and at workshops around the province through the Emily Carr College Outreach program. He also conducted several workshops at Malaspina College in the 1970s.

First name

Jan

Last name

Grove

Career dates (start and end)

1957
2009

Date of Birth

1930

Date of Death

2018

Place of Birth

Hamburg, Germany

Place of Death

Studio location

Apprenticeships

Jan apprenticed with his parents Gerd and Lu Grove, 1948-1951 followed by 5 years as a journeyman working at Marschner and Gutenhalde, two prominent German ceramics studios. He became a Certified Master of Art Pottery in 1956.

Major Exhibitions

AGGV, 1966
Canadian Fine Crafts 1966/67, National Gallery of Canada, 1966
Canadian Fine Crafts Expo 67, Montreal. 1967
Canadian Ceramics, 1967
Canadian Guild of Potters, Toronto, 1968
Craft Dimensions Canada, ROM, Toronto, 1969
Retrospect Ceramics 80, BC Potters Guild, 1980
Back to the Land, AGGV, 2012
Life With Clay, Pottery and Sculpture by Jan and Helga Grove, AGGV, 2017
Modern in the Making, VAG, 2020

Collections

Global Affairs Canada
AGGV
Confederation Centre, Charlottetown, PEI
University of Victoria

Links to Further Resources

Back to the Land, exhibition catalogue, AGGV, 2012
Life With Clay, Pottery and Sculpture by Jan and Helga Grove, exhibition catalogue, AGGV, 2017
Collier, Allan, et al. Modern in the Making: Post-War Craft and Design in British Columbia. Edited by Daina Augaitis, Vancouver Art Gallery, 2020.

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