Jennefer Hoffmann
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
With her hands as her instruments, Jennefer Hoffmann forms delicate ceramic sculptures that incite reflection.
JENNEFER HOFFMANN INITIALLY ORBITED IN THE WORLD OF FASHION AND DESIGN IN NEW YORK BEFORE FINDING HER LANGUAGE THROUGH CERAMIC SCULPTING AS AN AUTODIDACT ARTIST. FAVOURING AN UNMEDIATED AND SPONTANEOUS CONNECTION WITH CLAY, SHE REFRAINS FROM MAKING PRELIMINARY SKETCHES AND USING VARIOUS POTTERY TOOLS. SHE CURRENTLY WORKS FROM HER STUDIO IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WHERE HER CAREER AS AN ARTIST IS GATHERING PACE.
Jennefer's first encounters with clay
JENNEFER STUDIED DESIGN AT PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN IN NEW YORK AND FOUND HERSELF IMMERSED IN A COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS AND CREATIVES. FOLLOWING HER STUDIES SHE COLLABORATED WITH SEVERAL FRIENDS ON CREATIVE DESIGN PROJECTS, BUT HER HEART WAS ALL THE WHILE INDEBTED TO MAKING ART OF SOME SORT.
HER INTEREST IN POTTERY BLOSSOMED DURING A TRIP TO PARIS WHERE SHE TOOK HER FIRST POTTERY CLASSES AND QUICKLY TURNED OVER THE POTTERY WHEEL TO FIND HER LANGUAGE FREELY FORMING CLAY WITH HER HANDS. SHE PARTICULARLY CAME TO VALUE THE THERAPEUTIC QUALITIES IN LENDING ONESELF TO THE OBJECT AND PROCESS AT HAND DURING CLAY-MAKING.
SHE CURRENTLY RESIDES IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WHERE SHE NURSES HER SENSIBILITY AND NERVE FOR CREATION BY PRACTISING COLD THERAPY DURING SUNRISES IN THE WINTRY SEASONS.
Hands as instruments
WORKING AS AN AUTODIDACT ARTIST WITHOUT FORMAL TRAINING, JENNEFER CREATES ON HER OWN TERMS AND UNTAINTED BY THE FORMALISMS OF THE CRAFT, BUT SHE ALSO FINDS HERSELF CONTINUOUSLY CHALLENGED AND INTRIGUED BY AREAS THAT REQUIRE REPETITIVE LEARNING.
THE PROCESS OF CREATION FOR JENNEFER IS INTUITIVE AND OPEN-ENDED. SHE IS SENSITIVE TO THE MATERIAL’S OWN VITALITY, AND IDEAS FOR FORMS AND DETAILS SPONTANEOUSLY COME INTO BEING AS AN EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE CLAY AND HER AESTHETIC INSTINCT. SHE ALTERS BETWEEN TECHNIQUES OF PINCHING AND SLAB-BUILDING, HER HANDS SERVING AS DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS TO CREATE VARYING TEXTURES AND DISTINCT EXPRESSIONS. YOU CAN OFTEN FIND TRACES FROM HER FINGERS OR METAL SCRAPER, BESTOWING HER PIECES WITH A CERTAIN DELICACY THAT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF HER WORK.
JENNEFER LIKEWISE ENCOURAGES AN OPENNESS AND DIALOGICAL INTERACTION WITH HER PIECES. SOME OF HER WORKS HAVE POTENTIAL FOR FUNCTIONALITY, BUT ARE ALSO INTENTIONALLY VAGUE. IN HER OWN WORDS, HER SCULPTURES ASPIRE TO INVITE THE VIEWER TO EXPLORE AND CONTEMPLATE.
“I love the idea of the open object; a piece of work that allows the viewer to have her or his own dialogue with it and be moved or repulsed by it for their own reasons.”
Experimenting with glazes
JENNEFER HAS FOR A LONG TIME AS AN ARTIST WORKED WITH THE INTENTION OF CREATING ANEW WITH EACH PIECE. IN HER COLLABORATION WITH TETOMO, JENNEFER IS PERMITTING HERSELF TO CIRCLE BACK TO PARTICULAR PROCESSES AND STUDY THE ALCHEMY OF GLAZES AND FIRING AND THE VARIOUS STYLE ALTERATIONS THEY CAN CAUSE BY MAKING MINUTE CHANGES.
THE IRREGULAR CONTOURS OF HER SCULPTURES GUIDE HOW THE GLAZES INTERACT WITH THE CLAY, BRINGING FORTH DELICATE VARIATIONS OF COLOUR AND EXPRESSION, WHILST UNGLAZED AREAS GIVE AN EARTHY AND ARCHAIC EXPRESSION THAT STAND IN CONTRAST TO THE VIVACIOUS QUALITY OF HER GLAZES.