Stephanie Jaffe

Whether placed in public plazas or staged in shadow boxes, the arc of Ms. Jaffe’s career is distinguished by unconventional combinations of handcrafted and found materials. Using a keen sense of color and composition, her vibrant collages and mosaics integrate eclectic elements such as vintage keepsakes and fine china with blown glass and fired clay to create whimsical arrangements. Jaffe engages diverse audiences on multiple levels: nostalgic narratives and historical tributes evoke personal memories and community pride; topiaries of sculpted ceramic flowers inspire an appreciation of the natural environment; assemblages of popular products spark cultural critique. Jaffe was born and raised in New York. She studied glass and ceramics at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1980. She founded Germantown Glassworks with a classmate which produced functional pieces exhibited and sold in galleries and retail stores across the nation. Jaffe’s studio practice and subject matter evolved after her move to Miami in the early ‘90s. The region’s bright hues and subtropical climate made mosaics an optimal medium as she began to pursue larger pieces with a more enduring presence while continuing to exhibit in group shows at museums and galleries around the country. For the past two decades, she has also worked as an accomplished public artist.