LAUREN JOFFE . BIO + CV



Lauren Joffe is a ceramic artist who was born in Cape Town and with her family immigrated to Melbourne when she was young.

Her development as an artist can be seen as an outgrowth of her personal biography with South Africa, Australia and Japan.

Lauren completed degrees in Law and Arts (English Literature) before pursuing her interest in art. She studied gold & silversmithing in RMIT University’s Fine Art program and continues to use metal and glass in her practice. Her work has been exhibited throughout Australia and in Europe, Japan, South Africa and the United States. In 2020 she had a solo exhibition at Michael Reid Clay in Sydney. She has presented her work in many group exhibitions including: ‘A New Wave’, a major exhibition of young designers and makers at the Southern Guild Gallery in Cape Town 2016; as a finalist in Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award Exhibition in Australia 2014, in the Itami International Craft Exhibition 2011 and the Itami International Jewellery Award Exhibition 2011 in Japan.

She was recognised as an ‘Emerging Creative’ at the 2012 Design Indaba in South Africa. She was selected for the prestigious Galerie Marzee Internation Graduate Show in the Netherlands 2009. She has been awarded a number of Australia Council for the Arts grants and her work has been acquired by RMIT University and the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery. 

EDUCATION

2009/10. Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) (Honours) Honours First Class, Gold & Silversmithing, RMIT, Melbourne

2006/08. Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) with Distinction, Gold & Silversmithing, RMIT University, Melbourne

2005. Certificate I in Visual Arts & Contemporary Craft (Jewellery & 3D Design), CAE, Melbourne

1994/2000. Bachelor of Laws (Honours) / Bachelor of Arts(Honours), The University of Melbourne

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020. Solo Exhibition, Michael Reid Clay, Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2019. Red Stocking, Red Gallery, Melbourne

2019. Between Falling Rays, Kingston Arts Centre, Melbourne

2019. Emerge: Seventh Edition, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne

2018. Field Work, School of Clay & Art, Melbourne

2017. Superhero, Kingston Arts Centre, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Melbourne

2016. A New Wave, Southern Guild Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2016. Survey 2016, School of Clay & Art, Melbourne

2015. Inside Nature/Nature Inside, Design Afrika, Cape Town, South Africa

2014. National Contemporary Jewellery Awards (Finalist), Griffith Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Courtesy of the Artist, Sydney and Sturt Contemporary Craft and Design, Mittagong.

2014. Espace Permanent, Alliages Gallery, Lille, France.

2013. Contemporary Wearables ’13 (Biennial Jewellery Award Exhibition), Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, QLD.

2013. Conversationtwo: Lauren Joffe & Elsabe Milandri, Side Street Studios and Haas Gallery, Cape Town.

2012. Emerging Creatives, Design Indaba Expo, Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa.

2012. All things Haas, Exhibition during Creative Cape Town Week, Haas, South Africa.

2011. Itami International Craft Exhibition (Objects), “Shuki & Shuhaidal”, Seikatsu Kobo, Tokyo, Japan.

2011. Itami International Craft Exhibition (Jewellery), Museum of Arts & Crafts – ITAMI, Japan.

2010. Itami International Craft Exhibition, Museum of Arts & Crafts - ITAMI, Japan.

2010. Bell Weather, RMIT Gold & Silversmithing Graduate Exhibition, 1000 £ Bend, Melbourne

2010. Contemporary Australian Silver & Metalwork Touring Exhibition, Geelong Art Gallery and Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery

2010. Siemens – RMIT Fine Art Scholarship Awards Exhibition, RMIT Gallery, RMIT Melbourne

2010. Graduate Metal 12, Perth Western Australia

2009. Contemporary Australian Silver & Metalwork Touring Exhibition, Shepparton Art Gallery and The Victorian Arts Centre Melbourne

2009. Marzee Annual International Graduate Show, Galerie Marzee Nijmegen, The Netherlands

2009. Its Got Legs, RMIT University Gold & Silversmithing Postgraduate & Alumni Award Exhibition, School of Art Gallery, RMIT University Melbourne

2009. Contemporary Australian Silver & Metalwork Exhibition, Buda, Castlemaine.


PRIZES & AWARDS

2013. Australia Council for the Arts, Skills & Arts Development Grant

2012. Australia Council for the Arts, ArtStart, Emerging Artist Grant

2012. Selection South African Emerging Creatives, Design Indaba Expo, Cape Town.

2011. Australia Council for the Arts, New Work, Emerging Artist Grant

2010. The Vice Chancellor’s List Award, RMIT University

2008. The Don Begbie Award for Excellence in Gold & Silversmithing, RMIT University (Acquisitive Award)

2008. The Vice Chancellor’s List Award, RMIT University


COLLECTIONS

Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery

The W.E.MacMillan Collection, School of Art, RMIT University

PUBLICATIONS

“Fresh Design Talent: Lauren Joffe”, VISI Magazine (South Africa), February 2013.

“Perfect Imperfections: Lauren Joffe’s Jewellery”, Lancia Trendvisions (Italy), October 2012.

“Making, breaking, forgetting and setting the norm”, The New Age Newspaper (South Africa), 8/3/2012.

“Featured: Jewellery by Lauren Joffe”, Between10and5, 7/3/2012.

2011 Itami International Craft Exhibition, Jewellery, Museum of Arts & Crafts, Itami (2012).

2010 Itami International Craft Exhibition Shuki-Shuhaidai, Museum of Arts & Crafts, Itami (2011)

Bell Weather, RMIT Graduate Exhibition (2010)

Marzee Annual International Graduate Show, Galerie Marzee (2009)

Contemporary Australian Silver & Metalwork, Buda (2009)

Ten Thousand Hours, RMIT Graduate Exhibition(2008)

Fusion, Enamelist Society (2007)

RESIDENCIES & WORKSHOPS

2014. Workshop & private tuition with Peter Bauhuis, Munich

2012. Artist in Residence, Jewellery Dep., Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa

2011. Residency (1 month), Barbara Jackson Ceramic Studio, Cape Town, South Africa

2010. Residency (1 month), Barbara Jackson Ceramic Studio, Cape Town, South Africa

2009. Glass Casting Workshop with Graham Orridge, Monash University, Melbourne

2008. Inside Outside Workshop with Peter Bauhuis, Monash University, Melbourne