Jaime Jenkins

Biography

Jaime Jenkins hand-builds stoneware pieces that push the definitions of what clay can and should do. Teetering on the edges of functionality and fragility, her works often take on organic and intricate forms.

Jaime Jenkins was born in 1992 and lives in Mount Maunganui.

Jaime hand-builds stoneware pieces that push the definitions of what clay can and should do. Teetering on the edges of functionality and fragility, her works take on structural, organic and intricate forms. Chains and bells are frequent subjects in Jaime’s practice, objects that defy the brittleness of fired clay, and that create movement and sound. These sit alongside dense architectural pieces that can be used as stools, shelves and tables, or works that simply exist in isolation as large sculptures.

A core source of inspiration for Jaime is her experiences of nature and natural forms, which she translates into her stoneware. Jaime speaks of feeling ‘filled up by nature’ when she spends time in the landscape, such as out for a bush walk or diving into a water hole. The glazes and slips Jaime uses are earthy and celestial, reflecting this deep attachment to the environment. Starry blues, forest-floor greens and deep grounding reds are some of the colours Jaime returns to.

Jaime has a Diploma of Visual Art, Toi Ohomai, Tauranga, and has undertaken internships with Laurie Steer and Francis Upritchard. She was the 2022 recipient of Dame Doreen’s Gift from the Blumhardt Foundation and her work is in the collection of Te Papa.

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Works