Her childhood dream was to be an artist. It was in 2012, during a month-long sabbatical away from the corporate finance world, mountain biking through the Indian Himalayas that the idea for Janet Ceramics was born … pure and simple art – that she hopes her story will inspire people to “live a life that they love”.

In doing so Janet and her team have used unique experiences and social media to share the stories of each specific art piece as well as the progress and development of the business and brand to inspire people to “live a life you love”.

One of the highlights of 2015 was being invited as a guest speaker to an all ladies brunch at La Borie, Paarl. That morning Janet spoke of the story of the heart-shaped baking dish and the intention in its creation. The guests were so deeply moved, the event trended on Twitter as a nationwide event. A key turning point for the business was being awarded a grant from the National Youth Development Agency, which enabled the company to purchase its own kiln and an independent space for design and prototyping was established. One of the unique strengths of the brand is their ability to draw on the skills and resources from other artists and ceramic experts around the country in order to fulfill on specific project needs, creating a proudly South African finished product.

Janet Ceramics went on to supply a wide range of innovative homeware stores like WW Artisan, Vendange, Angie’s Little Food Shop in London, interior design companies like Varoom and Clint Savage, private game lodges and various galleries and specialist art shops around the country. Her work is a regular feature in VISI design picks and other interior magazines. Her life is her art and she lives the core values and ethos of the brand. Ubuntu is a value which runs deeply through Janet’s veins. Celebrating imperfection as well as attention to the process is what has the creations stand out.

The initiative Paint your Plate has evolved into a monthly painting event hosted at alternating locations around the country. In this way, Janet continues to share the magic of creativity and inspire people to live a life they love.