Crossroads of the World

Laurence Jenkell fashions candy in many forms: paintings, installations and sculptures. Jenkell is a self-taught artist and could not enjoy candies when she was a child, so she decided to make this simple object of desire the main subject of her artwork, with a focus on the twist in a candy’s wrapper, and share it with the public worldwide. The creation of her artworks has led Jenkell to use materials like Plexiglass, polyester, aluminum, bronze and marble, but also to express herself through fragmentation. More than a medium, Jenkell’s interpretation of the candy has become a language: Her candy sculpture is a radical gesture stemming from the semantic contents of Pop Art and from New Realism.

In 2011, as official partner of the G20 in Cannes, Jenkell invented a concept for a traveling exhibition of her huge Candies in the colors of flags. Jenkell’s artistic works blend conceptual and cultural process: the subject of the Candy depicting simplicity and universality, and through “Flags Candies,” an interrogation of the identity of a nation.

Now, Jenkell is in New York City to present a year-long exhibition, Crossroads of the World, at two locations. Her “Flags Candies” from G20 and additional candy sculptures fabricated in different mediums will be on view at Port Authority Bus Terminal. Jenkell is also debuting new artworks at 485 Madison Ave, the Madison Wrapped part of the exhibit, including her “Wrappings Twists,” with subjects including an elephant and a trashcan.

Jenkell has exhibited internationally, but Crossroads of the World is her first NYC exhibit. Everywhere she has shown her work, people enjoy the candy sculptures, regardless of their age, religion, or education. Her work brings people together and makes them feel happy, just as she is happy to share her art. With her new works, the “Wrappings Twists,” Jenkell is excited to raise awareness for the sake of endangered species and the environment. Her main subject, however, is the candy sculpture, and shall be the candy forever–with its famous twist that has become her signature, the twist she now employs in new ways.

About the Artist
Laurence Jenkell is a self taught artist, and very new in NYC. She started to create work on her own in the mid-90s. Her artistic research led her to experiment with various techniques such as inclusion, dripping, firing, and casting. She successfully mastered Plexiglass as a material to obtain the “wrapping” technique which allows her to produce the Candy sculptures that she had been obsessed with. Candy allowed her to exorcise devils of her childhood and made her question herself about her own heritage.

Jenkell likes showing her artwork in unexpected places and sharing her art with people of the entire world, including a public that may not be involved in art. She loves “educating” people about art, especially those who may never have been to a museum or gallery before. She loves making people feel happy, seeing a smile on their face, as they remember their childhood or other happy moments. Candy is a very affordable artwork that appeals to everyone.

Jenkell’s works have been included in exhibitions and international art fairs in more than 25 countries (including Belgium, France, Germany, Hong-Kong, Spain, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates), and are present in important public and private collections worldwide.

For more information, please contact Laurence at info@jenkell.fr, visit her website at www.jenkell.com, or follow her on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook