Working with clay
Christchurch ceramic artist Janna van Hasselt was among 30 finalists in the 2022 Portage Ceramic Awards, for the 10th year in a row. She talks to Julia Strelou about art and life.
Janna van Hasselt’s journey into the arts began locally when she studied printmaking at the University of Canterbury. In between international travel and residencies, she took some ceramic classes with Canterbury Potters.
“I was instantly hooked by the versatility and materiality of hand sculpting with clay,” she says.
Almost a decade later it feels “amazing” to have her work on show amongst some of the top ceramic artists in the country.
Presented by Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery in Titirangi, the awards showcase the diversity and excellence of contemporary clay practices in Aotearoa.
The recent accolade is not Janna’s first.
In 2012, she received a Fulbright Award, allowing her to complete her Master of Fine Arts degree at the Art Institute of Chicago. She’s been working with clay ever since.
“Back in Christchurch, my first purchase was an electric kiln,” she recalls.
“Now I’m a mum of two beautiful girls (Aliefka, pictured left, and Maeve, right with their mother), and I share a studio with my woodworking husband, who also doubles as my technical guru.”
In 2020, Janna won the Zonta Ashburton Female Art Award which included a solo show at Ashburton Art Gallery the following year. Her ceramic exhibition Chromasill was pivotal in her career, opening the door to numerous public gallery exhibition opportunities.
She keeps herself “clay-fit” by teaching Centergy classes at Cityfitness and recently taught a class inside one of her gallery installations. “It was a true mashup of my two passions within one space.”
Janna’s piece Buzz Cut is what garnered her recognition in the latest ceramic awards. The work is based on an understanding of what is possible with clay; hand-built shapes intertwine in an array of rainbow colours. They pierce and perforate the shelf support and spill out into the gallery space.
“I hope viewers will feel uplifted and delighted by the luscious mix of surfaces, colours, patterns, and forms.”
Janna’s work explores the idea of architectural failure, questioning how far her structures can be pushed before they collapse.
“I like to create a feeling of controlled chaos,” Janna explained.
Gearing up for a busy (and buzzy) 2023, Janna is working on several projects, including an immersive neon pink walkway as part of the CubaDupa festival in Wellington, a buzzing ceramic wall installation at MTG Hawke’s Bay, and some stacked porcelain sculptures for an exhibition at PG Gallery in Christchurch.
IN BRIEF
Since completing a conjoint BFA/BSc degree at the University of Canterbury in 2004, Janna has been awarded numerous opportunities abroad, including:
• a scholarship to study at the Rhode Island School of Art and Design
• an internship at the Edinburgh Printmakers Studio
• an internship at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, USA
• several artist residencies at Frans Masereel Centrum for printmaking in Kasterlee, Belgium.
After completing her Fullbright Award MFA in Chicago, she won the Walker & Hall Waiheke Art Award on her return to New Zealand in 2014.
The premier award was won by Richard Penn for his work ‘Artefacts’.
