Kate Jenkins
Works
Overview
Image © Mark Vessey
“While my journey has been varied and exciting, one thing never changes. Whatever I create, whether it’s a carton of French fries, a tin of sardines or a box of frogs I always include lots of warmth and a dash of wit. Above all, I want my work to make people smile.”
For more than thirty years, Kate Jenkins has been knitting past traditional woollen boundaries to transform yarn into playful pop-art designs intended to amuse, enliven and impress. Her world is now a magical cornucopia of creations, focusing on food and fun with each piece showcasing her trademark sense of humour and skill for transforming the everyday into a better way.
Kate became intertwined with the art of crochet at the tender age of eight, showing an immediate flair for the fabulous. Since then, her passion has taken her on a sequinned journey of sparkle and surprise. Emerging from her native Welsh Valleys she travelled south to graduate with a BA Honours in Fashion & Textiles from the University of Brighton. This led to a career as a fashion designer specialising in knitwear for some of the world's most famous labels, including Donna Karan, Missoni, Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs.
Kate's first art exhibition, 'Comfort Food', was launched in her Brighton studio to storming seaside success, giving her the confidence to break out as a solo artist. Within months, fans were enjoying Kate's crochet creations at shows in London's Soho and Mott Street, New York City. From there, her work has travelled to art fair and gallery hotspots around the world, attracting clients from Beverly Hills to Brisbane and Hong Kong to Hull.
These days, Kate enjoys enviable publicity in national and international publications, with eagle-eyed editors spotting an opportunity to share and celebrate her work, which often offer a comforting nod to nostalgia. As Waitrose magazine says, 'there is seemingly no dish or foodstuff she can't render exquisitely with yarn and stitches.'
The last five years has seen her artworks commissioned for projects by Viking Cruises, Royal Mail and the fashion label, Anthropologie. Bespoke artworks adorn the walls of fans' homes from Beverly Hills to Brisbane, Bahrain to Brighton, where Kate Jenkins Studio is based. Most recently, Kate was commissioned by Harper's Bazaar Arabia to create six iconic luxury handbags - ranging from Gucci to Hermes - which were featured in its May 2023 edition. Kate also recreated the famous Chanel No.5 perfume bottle using yarn and sequins for Chaos 69 magazine, which resulted in a multi-page spread. Fans were delighted to attend a real-world Café Kate installation at the renowned Rijswijk Museum in The Netherlands, where pastry, coffee and cake creations immersed visitors.