The French contemporary artist Laurence Jenkell, known by her artist name JENK, exhibits her “Wrapping Bonbons” sculptures worldwide.
Laurence Jenkell
Self-taught, she has been creating with joy and passion for about thirty years. Based in the Alpes-Maritimes, she recently opened a studio-gallery in Monaco in 2022.
Her work is present in more than 50 countries, displayed outdoors or within numerous galleries and significant private, public, and institutional collections.
The artist has chosen the candy as her favorite subject. A topic combining simplicity and universality that quickly caught attention and gained substantial momentum. Today, her “Wrapping Bonbons” are internationally present. Thus, she explores them infinitely with different themes, materials, sizes, and colors.
Candy, Symbol of Childhood
The candy is an element that brings together young and old. Symbol of childhood, it reminds us of positive memories from our lives, and its sweet taste encourages sharing.
“As for me, I wasn’t allowed to eat candy when I was a child. I probably wanted to rebel and expand on the subject with joy and passion,” she confided to us humorously.
Her Inspirations
Laurence Jenkell describes herself as art-hungry. Drawing inspiration from our consumer society and current trends, she also enjoys seeing what other artists are doing. Moreover, she draws inspiration from her daily life, whether through a street, flipping through a magazine, or watching a movie.
According to her, the essence of the artist is to absorb; even the slightest thing can become everything.
An Art that Speaks Out
Moreover, her “Wrapping Bonbon” can be adorned with societal topics such as environmental issues, animal rights, or violence against women… Indeed, she likes to use her art to speak out or support topics that move her.
Fabrication
Although her sculptures come in various sizes and are made from different materials, Laurence Jenkell uses a “Wrapping” and twisting technique to shape candy wrappers.
“Wrapping” is a technique of material wrapping, combined with the twist of the wrapper, making each of her pieces a unique work. Plexiglas is the most used material; however, she extends this symbolic object into other materials such as marble, bronze, aluminum, or polyester.
