Jensen, John Lewis

John Lewis Jensen is a designer and metal-smith with a concentration in the niche field of Art-Knives. He was born in Newport Beach, CA in 1971 and currently lives and works in Pasadena, California. He received a BFA in Jewelry + Metalsmithing from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), in 1996. His further interests and passions lie in Architecture, Interior Design and Furniture, and in 2022 he completed his studies in Interior Design from UCLA-X. John’s skill sets, both technical and conceptual are applied to his unique art-knife style, which has helped him take his work to a new level. What separates John’s work from other contemporary knife makers, is his true approach to the form as art, and not just another embellished version, of an otherwise ordinary knife. He was most recently represented in a two year, traveling exhibit entitled “Protective Ornament: Contemporary Armor to Amulets”, which was featured at both the National Ornamental Metals Museum, TN and the Tacoma Art Museum, WA. This show was based on the book: “On Body & Soul” written and curated by the noted art critic Suzanne Ramljak. He’s also been featured in shows at the Mesa Art Museum, AZ (2013), as well as the Canton Museum of Art, OH (2012). In 2012, he also gave a presentation / lecture on his work at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA. In addition, his work has been shown in such diverse places as the National Ornamental Metals Museum, TN (2007), (where he curated the 1st ever show on Modern Art-Knives in the U.S.), The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in OH (2005), and the French Embassy in Washington D.C. (1998), among many others. Jensen’s award winning work has also been featured in over 100 international publications, and he’s been instrumental in the art world’s new appreciation of knife making as a serious art form. He produces his one-of-a-kind pieces as a one-man operation under the moniker “Jensen Knives” Art, at its heart straddles between two schools of thought: On one side, art is the ultimate form of anti-establishment, meant to be intimidating, confounding, and a bold rejection of all things “normal”. On the other side, it is meant to uplift the human spirit, and enhance life around us with its beauty and grandeur. With my artwork I’m looking to be a part of both realms… Fundamentally, the purity and act of creation, combined with the abilities of my mind and hands is a staggering, life-altering experience. Up until 2018, the inception and creation of one-of-a-kind Art Knives is where John has solely concentrated his main artistic intention and expression. He is now further exploring his passions in Architecture and Interior Design.