Jessica Winchcombe

I grew up in a wonderfully artistic household, with parents who were ceramic artists and a
mother who is a talented painter. From an early age, I developed a love for creativity,
particularly in costume and color, influenced by my mother’s passion for beautiful textiles.
There was never any doubt I would become an artist; the only question was what type.

At 15, I decided to pursue my artistic career and applied to the local polytechnic to begin a
foundation in visual arts. This program offered taster courses to explore my interests while
earning my bursary levels. Although I enjoyed my time there, I was still young and didn’t
fully commit. However it gave me a foundation to build on in the following years on how to
look at art.

During that foundation year, I participated in an aid trip to Thailand, which sparked my love
for travel and cultural experiences. Over the next seven years, I developed a taste for
extreme sports and studied to become a scuba instructor and skydive filmer. This journey
led me to work in some fascinating environments while also learning to be a chef on the
job, traveling with bands. This period enriched my life with invaluable experiences.
Throughout this time, I maintained an art practice, painting murals at festivals and holding
café exhibitions. Yet, I hadn’t fully found my niche until I took an evening class in jewellery.

I was captivated by jewellery’s potential for reusing and recycling materials, allowing me to
create pieces that tell stories while being compact and easy to travel with. Inspired by a
retrospective exhibition by artist Peter Deckers, whose conceptual jewellery amazed me, I
enrolled in the visual arts course he led, majoring in jewellery. I’ve never looked back.

Now, my studio is based in the extreme sport capital of New Zealand, which continually
fuels my creativity. Being a full-time artist who gets to travel for exhibitions and play in the
mountains or surf and scuba dive in my down time is my idea of success. Although it didn’t
happen overnight, I pinch myself every day that I get to wake up and be a full time artist.

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