Sandra Jenkins
Artist biography
Sandra Jenkins was born in Devonport, Tasmania in 1969. She spent a year living in outback Queensland with her family in 1980. Upon arriving back in Tasmania, the family moved to a large hobby farm where she spent many hours drawing and painting, inspired by the freedom to wander the bush, river, a huge old quarry and nearby arboretum.
Having always loved to paint and draw, she undertook a Bachelor of Visual Art degree and discovered a love of sculpture. Working mainly in beeswax and bronze casting, she created many works that represented her love of nature, particularly native animals and plants.
Sandra also trained as an art teacher, specialising in Secondary Education. She teaches 12- 16 year old’s the skills they need to help them on their personal art journey. Family, in particular being a single parent to two girls while working full-time, put a halt on serious art production until 2017. Artworks, mainly paintings, were done in the intervening years.
Themes of feminist history, climate change, and colonialization are long held areas of interest and are often referenced in her still life and landscape paintings.
Career highlights include being a finalist in the Henry Jones Art Prize in 2019, the People’s Choice Award winner at the Peppermint Bay Sculpture competition in 2005 and winner of The Sandstone Challenge Award in Launceston in 2003.
Sandra now lives and works in North West Tasmania and teaches part time at the local high school. She is inspired by colour and shape and continues to interpret people, places and animals in two and three dimensions.