Jane Sawyer founded Slow Clay Centre (SCC) in 2012 on the back of twenty years ceramics teaching in tertiary and secondary education and in her studio. She manages SCC including guiding educational methodology, strategic and staff planning and teaches in the Intermediate/Advanced wheel throwing, Weekend Intensives and the Studio Practice Program.
Jane’s practice as an exhibiting ceramic artist has taken her around the world, including exhibitions and residencies in the UK, Denmark and Japan including Collect at the V&A in London, The Snake in The Garden, touring the UK, and Tableware in Denmark. She holds an MA by Research in Fine Art (Ceramics) and was a finalist in the national Vitrify Ceramic Awards (2013) and is represented in public and private collections.
Jane is as equally known for her tactile, expressive ceramics as she is for her unique teaching methods and has developed a specific way of teaching wheel throwing (the Slow Clay(tm) method) based on Japanese techniques and ergonomic best practice. It is a natural synthesis of her training and working experiences in Japan (with Shussai-Gama pottery, 1985-7) and Australia (with Andrew Halford, 1982-5), East and West, mind and body, heart and hand. Jane brings a deep respect for the creative process as a lifelong journey and leads Slow Clay Centre to be a welcoming community from professional artists to beginners, designers and craftspeople.
Jane has served on the professional boards of Craft Victoria and The World Crafts Council – Australia, and is a current member of The International Academy of Ceramics, Geneva.