German 1930 – ; German 1927-

Blue-Grey Jug 1980
Glazed Ceramic
24 x 11
University of Victoria Acquisition Fund

Jan Grove was born into a family of sculptors and potters who were trained in Hamburg, Germany during the 1920s. He worked in his parent’s ceramics studio, where he met his future wife, Helga. Together they combined Jan’s technical know-how of the pottery-making process with Helga’s background in textile design. While they were working as a ceramics instructors in Turkey, the couple was invited by Herbert Siebner to join the budding Canadian West Coast art scene. Arriving in Victoria in 1965, Jan took a teaching position in the Education Department at the University of Victoria while Helga managed their home studio, learning English from patrons eager to purchase their popular Mediterranean blue pottery. They met fellow artists in Victoria where they could share ideas and work among friends, eventually becoming members of the Limners.