Leading light

Fresh from exhibiting his new collection of sculptural lights – Time Lapse - in Europe, ceramic wunderkind Jan Ernst gives H&G a tour of his new studio space and talks creative collaboration, finding inspiration in nature and what sets South African designers apart

- PIET SMEDY

You’re in your own studio space – does it feel like a new beginning of sorts?

JAN ERNST: Moving into a new studio has been incredibly rewarding on both a philosophical and pragmatic level. Vorster and Braye Ceramics was my first address and a safe space to launch my career; a supportive environment and creative space to explore and learn. During my artist residency in France, I realised that the pace of the work and the nature of the studio would change – we needed more space. In October last year, my team and I moved into a beautiful 100-square-metre studio in the heart of Woodstock.

Laying down the bones was a mammoth task. As an architect, I was able to design the space with the intention of creating an environment that could evolve to accommodate our ever-changing needs. Before I knew it, the three of us – Arnold Masiko, Prince Maposa and I – were fixing joinery to the wall.

Today, there’s a sense of camaraderie and collaborative working that flourished from the moment we called this space home. As far as the work is concerned, it has most certainly influenced the way we think about ceramics and the way we create.

As your exploration and understanding of clay as a material grows, how has this manifested in the forms that you create? 

JAN: The Time Lapse collection has pushed the studio further than what we thought we were capable of, due to the complexity of form, the scale of the artworks and the combination of material.