Bio
My name is Jenn Hales, and I’m a freelance designer and artist living in Raleigh, NC. I grew up in an earth-sheltered home near Apex, NC. As a child I spent my time reading books and examining bumble-bees in the front yard. My family didn’t have a tv, so I drew the creatures I saw in nature and in my imagination.
Later, I moved to Ohio where I graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Industrial Design. I’ve worked as a toy designer at Hasbro, a footwear designer at Columbia sportswear, a design researcher at Insight Product Development, and a welder in the art and scenic department at SAS institute.
I run Patina Collaborative, a fine art and design studio that emphasizes locally made design and sustainability. Currently, I live in Raleigh with my partner Graymon and two fish.
Artist Statement
I loved drawing animals and plants ever since I was a little kid. Often, my Mom would find me out in the yard sketching flowers or studying bumble-bees. But, as I’ve grown older, my delight has been tempered by worry- as I watch humans infringing further and further upon the natural world.
In my art I explore the tension between the human and animal worlds, and the concept of dialogue between species. I try to evoke the way I saw the world as a child while tackling concepts like loss of habitat and human effects on the planet.