Claire Jensen, originally from the South Island, spent her childhood and early adulthood in Australia, primarily in tropical North Queensland. There she studied Visual Arts majoring in sculpture and printmaking, later she went on to study education and has worked in Australia, the UK and New Zealand as an art teacher.

Claire and her family settled back in New Zealand in 2005. In the small coastal Taranaki town, Opunake,  she has set up her home studio, The Brown Bach Studio, in which she makes sculpture and functional design from recycled materials.

Much of Claire’s work explores themes relating to nature and the environment. She enjoys working with found objects and collected materials such as wood, metal and plastic as she is passionate about reusing resources and creating art with a sustainable ethos. The materials she collects govern the project she makes and the techniques with which she makes them.

Most recently Claire has been developing a signature collection of pieces representing native New Zealand flora and fauna as objects of devotion. These pieces represent what is precious to our national identity, our flora and fauna.

‍