William Paul Jenkins, known as Paul Jenkins, was born in 1923 in Kansas City, Missouri, where he spent his formative years. His early encounters with architectural luminary Frank Lloyd Wright, commissioned by Jenkins’ great-uncle to rebuild a church after a fire, hinted at a different path. However, Jenkins harboured a deep-seated passion for painting, influenced by visits to the Eastern art collection at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

In his teens, Jenkins relocated to Struthers, Ohio, where he lived with his mother and stepfather, proprietors of the local newspaper. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Maritime Service and later the U.S. Naval Air Corps during World War II. Post-war, he embarked on his artistic journey in New York City, studying under Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Morris Kantor at the Art Students League of New York, alongside luminaries like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.

In 1953, Jenkins ventured to Europe, spending time in Taormina, Sicily, before settling in Paris, France. From 1955 onwards, he divided his time between New York and Paris, honing his distinctive artistic style that would later captivate audiences worldwide.

In 1953, he travelled to Italy and Spain before settling in Paris, where his first solo exhibition took place at Studio Paul Facchetti in 1954. His prominence grew with exhibitions at prestigious galleries like Zoe Dusanne in Seattle and the Martha Jackson Gallery in New York, where the Whitney Museum of American Art acquired one of his paintings, “Divining Rod.”

Throughout the 1960s, Jenkins gained international recognition for his innovative use of acrylic paints, particularly his signature pouring technique. He exhibited worldwide, including major galleries in Tokyo, London, New York, and Paris. Notably, he worked with Gutai in Osaka and garnered acclaim for his film “The Ivory Knife,” which won the Golden Eagle Award at the 1966 Venice Film Festival.

In the 1970s, Jenkins delved into sculpture and collage, showcasing his versatility across mediums. Retrospectives of his work were held at esteemed institutions like the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and the San Francisco Museum of Art. He also ventured into theatre, staging a dance-drama at the Paris Opera and creating collages for French theatre director Jean-Louis Barrault.

In the 1980s, Jenkins continued to push artistic boundaries, creating monumental sculptures and collaborating with institutions like the Shidoni Foundry in New Mexico. His book “Anatomy of a Cloud,” blending autobiographical reflections and collage, received critical acclaim.

In the 1990s, Jenkins expanded his artistic horizons with international travels and exhibitions, further solidifying his legacy as a visionary artist. In 2010, the Crocker Art Museum celebrated his career with a retrospective, showcasing his iconic watercolours and paintings. Throughout his illustrious career, Jenkins’ work has captivated audiences worldwide, earning him a place among the most influential artists of his generation.

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