Laurence Jenkell

Laurence Jenkell, known as JENK, is a French painter and sculptor living and working in Vallauris, France, on the Côte d’Azur—a region celebrated for its vibrant art history and ceramic traditions. She began her artistic journey in the mid-1990s, experimenting with inclusion, dripping, and casting. Over time, she mastered the process of heating and twisting sheets of plexiglass into sculptural forms, leading to her signature “Wrapping Candy” series. These colorful, large-scale bonbons are crafted in materials such as plexiglass, bronze, aluminum, marble, wood, polyester, and Murano glass.

Jenkell’s iconic candy motif was born from a childhood deprivation of sweets, transforming an early frustration into a universal artistic language. The candy, for her, symbolizes both personal healing and shared nostalgia. Through her sculptural “wrapping” technique, she expresses inner tension, identity, and release. Over the years, she has expanded this technique into new series—DNA helices, robots, and butterflies—drawing from science, technology, and the human condition.

Her sculptures have gained international acclaim and are part of public and private collections in over 25 countries. Notable installations include: “Candy Nations” at the 2011 G20 Summit in Cannes; “Wrapping Candy” at the Oculus, World Trade Center, New York in 2018; and a 5-meter candy sculpture unveiled in 2023 on the A8 autoroute in Nice. Represented by leading galleries, Jenkell continues to enchant global audiences with her vibrant, symbolic forms—merging pop culture, personal narrative, and sculptural innovation into one unforgettable aesthetic.