Jane and Dylan Bowen on their exciting new projects

This is Jane Bowen’s first non ceramic show ever, which, having been a potter for 20 years, is quite something. But then 2014 is a massive year for both Jane and her husband Dylan, who is hosting his first live show at the Ashmolean with his father, legendary potter Clive Bowen this Sunday.

But first back to Jane, who is one of three artists exhibiting in Lost Property at Pink & Black Estate Agents in Summertown from Friday as part of ArtWeeks, inspired by found objects.

“It’s about nostalgia, objects, life and resurrection, death, but more than anything the pieces are evocative, to make people remember, they draw on your memory, smells, touch, feelings, places you have been, and a way of life that doesn’t exist anymore,” the St Edward’s School ceramic and art teacher explains.

Describing her work as multi-media, Jane’s installations are made using objects she has stored and sourced, found, retrieved and hoarded over the years and then carefully assembled in her 10 works.

“Sometimes I don’t know what I’m going to make but it evolves over time. Other times there is a single idea which works immediately. My pieces make me think of museum trips, the Pitt Rivers, mummies, the Ashmolean, and how and why you have to measure everything.”

Growing up in a big rambling Victorian house in Oxford, with four brothers and sisters, 50 pets and endless lodgers, Jane feels her new work is certainly autobiographical. “As a child, we had all this stuff around and I think as a result I’m always going to be a sous chef – someone who changes what’s already there rather than buying it as new. What I want doesn’t exist so I make it out of what’s already there. And I’m very happy doing it.”

So why break away from pottery? “I think I had a frustration and wanted to make something more sculptural and even though I tried with clay, it wasn’t enough and I realised I needed to start playing with other media. I didn’t know what, or how, I just knew I needed to do it. I would find myself sitting in my kitchen assembling things and putting things together in my spare time. I think its always been there and it needed to come out.”

So what’s the fascination with the past? “I’m as interested in the history of the object as the object itself, even if it is mass produced and has travelled over the sea from China in a massive crate. I’m fascinated in everything having a life before.”

“So take this piece Lawn,” she says showing me, “I wanted to know if these shuttle cocks were ever used, because they evoke pre-war days in country manor houses, the lawn with tea, and long dresses, the tinkle of china, they are evocative of an era.”

Now that Jane is revealing her work for the public, is she nervous? “People should take it as they wish, because it speaks for itself. “Everyone is an individual, so some will like it and some will hate it, I’d imagine. It’s irrelevant to me. That’s sort of the point.”

As for the future, Jane says: “I will definitely continue with my assemblage. I can’t imagine not doing this. I’d like to do bigger work, whole installations, to be more ambitious. “But of course I still love ceramics – I’ve been doing it for 20 years professionally, and hope to now do both.”

Lost Property features Jane Bowen, Claudia Figueiredo and Rose Wallace and is being held at Pink & Black Property Consultants, 14 Oakthorpe Road, Summertown OX2 7BE from May 17-26

Dylan Bowen is also being taken out of his comfort zone this Sunday when he takes to the stage at the Ashmolean, alongside his father, pottery great Cilve Bowen, for ClayLive, a day of demonstrations, talks and conversation. “It’s mainly going to be a reflection on my dad’s career, about our work and history, and how things developed for him, rather than talking about how we make stuff,” Dylan explains.

Even so, a great departure for two men at home in their own workshops rather than on show in one of the country’s greatest museums. “I’m looking forward to it, although a little apprehensive, because we aren’t known for our showmanship,” Dylan, from Tackley, smiles.

“But it’s great to be linked with the Ashmolean because my dad used to visit it when he was a boy and it had a big influence on him. “So we are really pleased to be having it there amid such a great display of inspiring ceramics.”

Dylan, himself a real name to watch in the art world, whose solo exhibitions around the country have received global recognition, learnt his craft at Shebbear, his father’s pottery in Devon, but has taken a while to break away and make his own mark, to move out of his father’s shadow.

The pair held a joint exhibition together in London last year but this will be their first demonstration. “I don’t know how it’s going to go. I don’t know what my dad is like on stage,” Dylan smiles.

A full exhibition of the pair’s work follows in the Oxford Ceramics Gallery until June.

But if you want to see the father/son potters in action on Sunday they will be demonstrating their craft: “We aim to show how we do things and emphasize the differences in our work and our experiences,” Dylan said.

ClayLive is at the Ashmolean Museum on Sunday from 10.30am to 6pm. See oxford playhouse.com for tickets n Clive Bowen and Dylan Bowen New Ceramics are on show until June 8 at Oxford Ceramics Gallery, 29 Walton Street, Oxford