DECOUVERTE / COUP de COEUR : Jane Ladan
Jane Ladan grew up in Mauritius, a culturally rich and diverse island of the Indian Ocean with traditions and influences originating from China, Africa, Europe and India. Having lived in South Africa and Kenya, she moved to Canada where she has been residing for the past five years. A painter, sculptor and jewellery maker, she is a graduate of the Ottawa School of Art. Her work celebrates the rich colours and textures found in mother earth’s biodiversity, particularly in the undersea world. She is passionate about creating unique, contemporary organic and feminine sculptural jewellery for bold and daring women of all ages. Inspired by the dialectic inherent to positive and negative energies, she uses varied materials, genres and techniques to create sophisticated artistic and fashionable pieces that elevate humanity. Jane is the recipient of the Ted Marshall Award (2011), the David and Nicole Henderson Scholarship (2012), Lilian Raport Memorial Fund for the Arts (2012) and the Robert Hyndman Drawing & Painting Scholarship (2013)
De la couleur, de la matière à l’excès, de la nature mais remaniée, de l’exotisme pour sûr … de la beauté en veux-tu en voilà …….
JANE LADAN – PAINTER/SCULPTOR/JEWELRY ARTIST – MAURITIUS/CANADA
Jane LADAN – Maasai’s Inspired Neck pieces « Superb Starling (Lamprotornis Superbus) » – 2012-2013
While living in Kenya in 2007, I became fascinated by the Maasai people, for their very distinctive dress and jewellery, and the rich and beautiful biodiversity that is found in Kenya and other parts of Eastern Africa. I was particularly struck by the Maasai’s beautiful beaded jewellery and circular necklaces.
Combining this experience with the Indian Ocean influence and my background I decided to integrate my oceanic reefs’ research with the concept of circular Maasai necklaces. To represent the multiple layers of necklaces normally worn by Maasai woman, I sculpted sea anemones on my pieces.
Each neck piece is unique. Instead of using colours and geometric forms found in the sea world or in original Maasai artwork, I painted my necklaces in the distinct colours of exotic birds found in the Kenyan forest; in contrast the delicate urchins’ primary spine give the illusion of layering and of birds’ feathers.
Most of my pieces have bright colours as in the Maasai culture each colour has a meaning: blue for the water that gives life to the grass and cattle; green representing land, grass and health; yellow and orange signifying hospitality; and black for life’s hardships. Wool was used to balance each neckpiece and to replace the long-beaded strings which are generally used in the traditional Maasai necklaces.
Jane LADAN – Maasai’s Inspired Neck pieces « Saddle-Billed Stork »
Jane LADAN – Maasai’s Inspired Neck pieces « Green-Winged Pytilia »
Jane LADAN – neckpiece series on lichen and undersea anemonesAs Mauritius-born artist, my work celebrates the rich colours and textures found in mother earth’s environment, particularly in the undersea world. I am passionate about creating unique, contemporary, organic and feminine sculptural jewellery.
During the past few months I lived through emotional ups and downs triggered by the departure of my grandmother and the unambiguous weather changes that marked the months of March and April. Consequently, I was inspired to reconnect with my Indian Ocean roots triggering my desire to investigate the sea and its rich and peaceful ocean world.
In my enquiry about sea anemones, I was particularly fascinated by the Zebra Colonial Anemone for its shape and distinctive black and white stripes as well as the detail of its hundreds of tinny tentacles. Almost fabric-like to the eyes, I sculpted those anemones and painted them with different shades of white to give a sense of lightness and translucency.
In my paper clay neck piece, I use sober white, green and brown colours in the main body of my work, representing restfulness while bright red, orange and purple colours are used for anemones, depicting rebirth and life. I have also added wool into my piece to add movement and contrast between stability and change.
My approach conveys a sense of change after an accomplished cycle as well as a sense of positive renewal.
Jane LADAN - Ocean rebirth – detail 
Jane LADAN – Ocean rebirth – detail
Jane LADAN - Ocean rebirth – detail
Jane LADAN – Ocean rebirth – detail
