Knud Jans began working as an artist in 1948. He was self-taught. Based on the Danish spontaneous-abstract art from the war years, he cultivated painting, graphics and ceramics. Jans was particularly interested in the material effects of the artwork, and experimented with cuts, made of cardboard, among other things. He established his own ceramic workshop in 1958 and produced a number of jars and dishes with decoration, as well as larger ceramic reliefs, in which his decorative sense was expressed. His idiom and world of motifs were influenced by Asger Jorn, who also inspired Jans' ceramic production. This work in particular seems to be heavily influenced by the mask motives of Carl-Henning Pedersen.