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Before my very special trip to South Africa I saw a CD presentation of Jane du Rand’s Mosaic Artwork, which I saw in Ireland in the summer of 2007. I was amazed. It was so different from all mosaics I had seen before. I wished so much to see in reality all the beautiful and unusual ceramic mosaic projects. I couldn’t imagine how they could be made in such a large scale. I was happy when Jane agreed that I could come to her studio for couple of months and join her team. I was very excited. It didn’t take long to do all travel arrangements and take off for 2 months (Sept. and Oct.2007) to go to Durban in South Africa to work in Jane’s Mosaic Studio.

It was great opportunity and pleasure to work with and learn from Jane. She was very friendly, helpful and always willing to answer my questions. I could see how some of her beautiful projects were created right from the beginning till the end - from the design on paper till the final installation of the Mosaic Artwork on site. It was an amazing experience for me. The atmosphere in the studio was very nice and friendly, a lot of laughter, very relaxing. I looked forward every day to go and work there. It was a pleasure to work with and learn also from my Zulu colleagues. It was fascinating to observe how they, with great patience and skill, created the beautiful mosaic pieces.

All the lovely mosaics stem from an endless stream of Jane’s unique design ideas. An individual design is made for each commission to suit the customer’s needs and purpose, but also to suit the environment, the place where it is going to be installed. Jane is very careful when choosing colors, shapes and texture in her designs, often using motifs from nature. I was very excited to see some of her exceptional design work. Other things which make Jane’s mosaic projects very special and unique are handmade ceramic pieces incorporated in the mosaic, which are designed by her and produced in studio. I got to experience making a lot of ceramic pieces using cutters and moulds. I also learned to how to make the moulds themselves and the use of different glazes.

I went to see some of Jane’s past Mosaic Artworks in the Sun International Hotel, the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Sibaya Casino, the International Convention Centre in Durban, and Melrose Arch in Johannesburg.

During my stay I was involved in a few new projects: Umhlanga pier, Memorial for Bessie Head, Garden Court Hotel, Meropa Casino, Winter and Summer walls. The process of the creation of each mosaic project was always different. I learned how a large-scale mosaic is divided into sections and each section is prepared in studio from handmade ceramic pieces, ceramic and glass tiles, using brown sticky paper and mesh to hold the pieces in place. The individual sections are then assembled and installed directly on a wall or floor on a site (unfortunately this part of the process I was not lucky enough to see, as it could be done only after I left). I liked the idea of mini-mosaics made on ceramic dishes and plates which are then incorporated into a big mosaic. I enjoyed doing these mini-mosaics. This technique, for example, I am planning to use in my next mosaic project with children with special needs, where every child will make their own mosaic tile or plate, which will then become part of a big mosaic.

I appreciate very much and I am very thankful that I got the chance to work with and learn from such a professional Mosaic Artist like Jane and also her team of skilled mosaic craftsmen. It was amazing to see the great teamwork and I am glad I could be part of it, even if it was only for a short time. Working in the studio was for me not only an exceptional professional experience but also a great cultural experience too.

In 2004 I met Storm Janssen van Rensburg, who at that time was currator of the NSA Gallery. I told him about my enthusiasm for the taxi’s in Durban and the Zulu culture. In 2005 I got the chance to work in Jane’s studio for our groupshow in The NSA Gallery.

I also told him my plans to make taxi’s out of clay and show them to the South African public. To realize that idea, I joined the exhibition ‘Handmade’. An exhibition in which Jane Du Rand was also exhibiting. Jane was very accomodating and organised me a work space in her studio.

From the first day I felt great working there. A good atmosphere, lovely and beautifull people and very inspiring for artists. I was amazed by the way Jane organised this place and work for the original people there. I was surprised at the big commissions Jane was working on and the energy she put into organising them.

The first couple of days I had to get used to the clay which behaves different in a different climate. Jane took me to a Ceramic store to find out what kind of clay would be the most suitable for my Taxi-project.

Out of all my experiences working in other environments and cultures, this working period proved very usefull for my skills. Some of the skills I learned were mould making with plaster, how to use underglaze and more. The people who were working in Jane’s Studio during that time were very helpful and inspiring. A lot of action and spirit.

When I came back to Holland, back in my studio, I tried to use these elements and techniques in my sculptures. At this moment, I am still using these techniques in my Atonom work. I am also working more with other kinds of underglazes since I visited Jane.

In the summer of 2007, I even created a little ‘Jane-wall’ in my father's wine cellar, as a gift to him. It was comprised of a mosaic wall with only hand-made elements.

Having that residency at Jane’s place, brought me a lot of new ideas, brought me in contact with a lot of interesting people and taught me more about myself as an artist and a person. I would like to recommend to every artist to try and organise a working period in South Africa.

Jane du Rand Ceramic Mosaic Artist

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