Wayne Ngan - In Focus

Over the past three decades I’ve learned that building a collection of anything takes time and requires patience and a willingness to learn. When I first started to bring home the Canadian pottery I found, I would bring home literally anything. My enthusiasm for the various shapes, sizes and colours was matched only by my interest in the marks and stories of the people who made them. As time passed I developed an eye for good design, and a feel for the piece that was thrown.

Ever mindful of the line between collector and hoarder, I found it necessary to narrow my focus - there is simply too much great work by Canadian artists to have it all so I decided to limit myself to keeping work by B.C. artists. Even that has proved challenging, as B.C. has produced so many talented potters with so many interesting stories.
This has been a process and the journey led me to settle on the work of Wayne Ngan as my absolute favourite. To me, he stands shoulder to shoulder among the giants of Canadian pottery - the Deichmanns, the Harlanders, Folmer Hansen and David Ross, the Groves, Walter Dexter, etc. As I’ve written before, I believe him to be Canada’s Shoji Hamada… our own national artistic treasure. Many agree with that sentiment.
Unusual example of Wayne Ngan raku. It takes on a sculptural feel with a pushed out side, some heavy texturing and some impressions. Circa 1970s (12" x 7").
Born Ngan Guey Wing, he immigrated to Canada in 1951 from Guangdong province in  China. Settling in Vancouver, it was his grade 9 art teacher who first recognized his artistic talent and encouraged him to pursue his talents. Dropping out of high school, he enrolled at the Vancouver School of Art (now the Emily Carr University of Art and Design).
Several examples of Wayne Ngan salt glazed work. Cobalt blue glaze and some heavily applied hakeme (far left). Various dates and sizes.
Mr. Ngan proved to be the rising star of his class, graduating with honours and winning several prestigious awards. Exhibiting throughout the 1960’s he eventually settled on Hornby Island alongside his friend and former classmate Heinz Laffin. His career would span the next several decades and see him produce some some wonderful examples of Canadian art. Wayne Ngan passed away on June 12, 2020 at the age of 83. Fortunately for us, he left a fantastic and prolific legacy of his work.
I am always interested in learning more about Wayne Ngan’s career and his body of work. I also purchase fine examples of his pottery to add to my collection. If you have knowledge to share or a piece (one or many) to sell, I welcome connecting with you.

Videos

Signature Variations Over Time

Shown here are five early variations of Mr. Ngan's signature which are found on the bottom of the piece. The earliest signature (far left) is almost unrecognizable. Mr. Ngan hand signed his pottery until sometime the mid-1960s according to information found in "Thrown."* He also reported he occasionally signed his work with his full name* (of three Chinese characters) but to date I have never seen one. Any hand signed work by Wayne Ngan is considered early and rare by collectors.
In the mid-1960s, a Chinese painter made two soapstone chop mark stamps for Mr. Ngan. The characters are reported to be over 800 years old.* Most pottery of Mr. Ngan's that is found can be easily identified by the inclusion of either of these chop marks. 
Another interesting variation I've seen is putting his chop mark on a clay button. I've only seen these on what I would deem "special" pieces and I have not seen many of them , This was not his standard practice and uncommon to find.
While most of Mr. Ngan's work is signed, some pieces are not. According to an April 1970 newspaper interview he gave to the Times Colonist.** This seems to have been intentional as he stated, "I can't see much point in signing my work because I feel the whole piece of pottery is me..." Unsigned pieces can be difficult to confirm and usually rely on other potential markings, telltale techniques or provenance.

Dates on works

Occasionally Mr. Ngan dated his pieces but this is not the norm. Usually a date will not be found. The dates are interesting to note though because it helps place his work at a specific stage of his career. Here are some found examples of dates on his work.
​This information and these associated linked pages above are a product of my experience and research interacting with Mr. Ngan’s pottery. The information is subject to change and develop as I learn more about his work. 
If you suspect you have a piece of pottery by Wayne Ngan and would like assistance in identifying, please feel free to contact me.
* Allison, G. (2015). Thrown: British Columbias apprentices of Bernard Leach and their contemporaries. p. 79. Vancouver: Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, The University of British Columbia.

​**Thomas, B. (1970, April 15). Wayne Ngan: Artistry Reflects Nature. Times Colonist.