Jane Muir studied ceramics for seven years achieving a first class BA (Hons) at Central St Martins School of Art and an MA at the Royal College of Art. On leaving the RCA in 1992 she took a three year post as artist in residence in a sixth form college. During this time her work was exhibited widely, notably in Ceramic Contemporaries, V&A, 1993 and a solo show at the Molesey Gallery, Surrey, 1995.
Specialising in idiosyncratic hand painted figures that represent a witty and uncluttered observation of the world. Figures that stand alone or placed in an architectural landscape are hand modelled, allowing her the freedom to sketch with clay and develop ideas during the making process. Jane’s figures are not about specific individuals but are a personification of character.
Their anonymity allows us to identify for ourselves familiar individuals. Subtle colour and seductive surface textures are key elements in her work; immensely appealing but never sentimental.
In 1997 Jane Muir was awarded a Crafts Council Grant which helped in setting up her present studio in Peckham, London. A commission for Bishop’s Stortford Library gave her an opportunity to work on a large scale. All Jane’s work is hand-built and hand-painted using stoneware glazes. Scale varies from small intimate pieces to large-scale garden sculptures.
Inspiration comes from various sources and has remained fairly consistent throughout her career. Fine artists such as Peter Blake, Eduardo Paolozzi and Elizabeth Frink through to more traditional crafts such as the work of the Staffordshire Potters have influenced Jane Muir’s work.
Her work has been exhibited widely throughout the UK, Europe, America and Japan.