Ceramic artist Jan Roebuck is a finalist in the Local Contemporary Art Prize at Caloundra Regional Gallery with her Nerikomi vase Repairs to Bribie Island, a work that draws equally on patience and unpredictability.
The piece takes inspiration from the remarkable natural repairs undertaken along Bribie Island following recent cyclone damage. Watching the breaches in the island gradually rejoin left a strong impression on Jan, echoed in the layered structure of the vase itself—fragments carefully coming together to form a renewed whole. Drone imagery shared on social media by Bluey’s Photography also helped shape the visual narrative.
Jan’s process begins with pure white porcelain, a material she loves for its delicacy and subtle transparency. Her fascination with porcelain deepened after travelling to Italy, where she completed a course in porcelain jewellery following the death of her husband. The clay is stained with pigments to create a palette of colours, which are then layered and compressed together.
Using the Nerikomi technique—colouring pieces of clay and rejoining them to form patterns—the coloured clays are stacked, pushed through an extruder and transformed into patterned blocks where the hues laminate into unexpected combinations. These small patterned pieces are then joined together to form the vessel. Porcelain, however, is notoriously difficult to work with; if joined poorly it can separate or crack during firing, so each connection requires careful handling.
Even then, the kiln has the final say. “You’re never exactly sure what it’s going to do,” Jan explains.
Once fired and carefully sanded smooth, the vase reveals an abstract landscape, echoing the distant outline of the Glass House Mountains and the shifting layers of water, trees and sand reminiscent of the shoreline near Golden Beach.
Jan is also an active member of the Caloundra Arts Centre Association, where she regularly attends workshops and draws inspiration from fellow artists and visiting tutors. Observing demonstrations—from screen printing to polymer clay techniques—she enjoys adapting ideas into her own ceramic practice, embracing the way experimentation and shared knowledge can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.
