Jane Seymour Biography

John Goode, the owner of Mill Cove Gallery, which is one of the longest established galleries in Southwest Ireland and is the expert in contemporary Irish Ceramics, commissioning sculptural ceramics by the very best of emerging and established Irish Ceramic Artists, has this to say of Jane’s work and background.

“Jane Seymour is an exceptional self-taught ceramic artist whose powerful, figurative slab-built Forms have made a profound impact on the landscape of contemporary Irish ceramics. Born in Suffolk in 1954 and raised between the marshlands of England and the valleys of Wales, Jane’s unconventional and creatively rich upbringing—shaped by an illustrator mother, an author father, and a grandfather who was Head of Sydney Art College—laid the foundation for a life immersed in art.

 Since moving to rural County Clare in 1994, Jane has devoted herself to ceramics, developing a highly distinctive approach that shuns glazes in favour of inscribed surface design. Her method—incising drawings into raw clay, layering oxides and stains, and multi-firing with sanding between stages—results in richly textured, sculptural works that blend visual depth with emotional resonance. Birds, especially crows and ravens, as well as the human figure, are recurring themes, inspired by her studies and life drawing, and influenced by artists such as Modigliani, Gauguin, and Picasso.

 Jane’s contribution to Irish ceramics has been widely recognized. She is a selected member of Ceramics Ireland, Portfolio Ireland, and the Craft Potters Association (UK). Her work has been exhibited extensively across Ireland and the UK, including at prestigious venues such as the Hunt Museum, Dublin Castle, the National Design and Craft Gallery and Mill Cove Gallery, as well as internationally in Italy and Wales. Her ceramics are part of both private and public collections, including the Office of Public Works.

 Jane has been a tutor on the CRAFTed and the Artist in Schools Programs.

Winner of the 2022 Professional Practice Award from DCCI and Ceramics Ireland and featured in multiple books and catalogues on Irish ceramics, Jane Seymour continues to shape the narrative of Irish ceramic art through her original vision, technical mastery, and deeply expressive works.