Jan Brown is a most distinguished Canberra artist who has always been inspired by living creatures.  Working in bronze, ciment fondu and paper, she explores animal and bird forms creating both sculptural and two dimensional works which convey a great affection for her subjects.  Jan is particularly fond of magpies and currawongs.  She begins her artistic process with sketches, often drawing inspiration from wildlife seen from her kitchen window through to animals in zoos around the world.  Jan has an ability to imbue her subject with its own unique personality while stamping it with her strong aesthetic identity.  Her work is “incidental to a lifetime journey: seeing, learning, knowing, making.”   One of her best known public sculptures is the group of kangaroos in bronze situated by the Nerang pool in Commonwealth Park, Canberra.

Jan Brown was born in Sydney in 1922.  In 1949, she received her National Diploma in Design (Sculpture) from the Chelsea Polytechnic School of Art in London, where she studied under Henry Moore.  From 1957 to 2001 she was a lecturer at the Canberra School of Art and, since 1997, a Visiting Fellow at the ANU Institute of the Arts.  Jan’s work is exhibited both nationally and internationally, and over the years she has been an inspirational teacher and mentor to countless professional and amateur artists.  Jan has also been an arts activist and served on numerous major arts advisory councils and arts boards in Canberra.  She is a member of the Order of Australia and an Emeritus Fellow of the Australia Council.  Her work is represented in the collections of National Gallery of Australia; Australian National University, Canberra; Artbank; New Parliament  House, Canberra; Canberra Museum & Gallery and the National Library of Australia.