About Jan Roe

British fine artist, Jan Roe is a graduate of the Royal College of Art, School of Painting. Roe has works in several different media; painting, printing, photography, photograms, two and three-dimensional sculpture. Roe is currently experimenting with the relatively new process of solar etching.
With a strong ambition to become an artist, in the early 70’s Jan Roe travelled to Israel, living for a number of years in Jerusalem. During that time Roe studied under the painter Israel Zoher. Israel Zohar, an established international artist and painter was influenced by Ernst Fuchs and the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism.

Living in Jerusalem, among other things Roe experienced work as a photo re-toucher and illustrator. Roe was commissioned by Evytar Publishing House co. Ltd. to create illustrations for the Evytar Israel Tour Guides and other material. Roe held her first exhibition in Jerusalem.

Returning to the UK, Roe was encouraged, by friend and teacher Dr Stevenson, to begin Art School in London. Despite difficulties gaining funding in the early stages, Roe eventually secured, with the help of writer and influential British academic Richard Hoggart, an important postgraduate scholarship from the Goldsmiths Company, London.

Roe’s Art education journey began at Ealing College, West London, and then progressed to a painting degree at Ravensbourne College, London Borough of Bromley. At Ravensbourne Roe’s work moved towards an Abstract Expressionist style. This brought a new energy to Roe’s work, a lateral approach "I started to look at everything from Turkish carpets to ceramics, design, film and philosophy. Everything became very fresh to me". From this point she gained a coveted place at the prestigious Royal College of Art, School of Painting under Professor Peter de Francia. The Art Historian and Painter John Golding remarked during her time that “Jan Roe is a colourist".

In the mid 1980’s, after graduating from the Royal College of Art, Roe was awarded the Chase Charity & Taliani Venice Scholarship. During her time in Venice Roe worked on a series of colour monotypes. Roe was affected by the atmosphere of Venice in winter, the colour and light of the historic districts.

Jan Roe is married to the Industrial Designer and Senior Lecturer, Theo Roe. Theo Roe is Course Leader for BA (Hons) Industrial Design at Bournemouth University; he is also a graduate of the Royal College of Art, School Industrial Design (now Department of Design Products).

At present Roe continues to experiment with different media, she says "I feel I have a lot to say, a kind of processing, my etching ‘Ancestors’ reminds me of myself going backwards in order to go forward, but I am also developing a fascination for words, and I am in the middle of working on a series of works”.

Jan Roe has collaborated with the sculptor Sarah Moore, their first duo was shortlisted for Clark’s shoes in a public sculpture, and Len Green from Millfield sculpture Park said "if Clark's don't have this Millfield's will". Roe & Moore were also shortlisted for the new housing development Newhall, part of the Harlow Art trust for a public sculpture, Sarah said "2D and 3-D artist complement each other's work”.

Jan Roe is also a part-time lecturer at Bournemouth University in computer animation visual studies and Industrial design.