“In the contemplative, careful process of felting, I consider and imagine the myriad connections spanning place; drawing together relationships, stretches of grazing land, human generations and deep time, playground and scorched earth, individual artworks within a space – then drawing in the viewer too towards the chrysalis forms that emerge.”
Christine Jacobs (b. 1992) is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose work testifies to the land and its generative, generational presence; her sculptures and drawings psychologically and tangibly connected to its multifaceted dimensions. Born and raised on a Merino sheep farm in South Africa, this interconnectedness with the land is deeply personal, guided by very particular contours and co-ordinates and the stories layered throughout six generations of her family’s synergism with the terrain.
Wool, symbolic thus of her heritage and identity, as well as of comfort and protection, pervades her practice: “The process of wool felting shapes my sculptures and serves as both metaphor and meditative act; a metaphor for the entanglement of earth and its dwellers, a meditative act of narration through memory.”
Jacobs maps out this entanglement – the intricate, ever-evolving dialogue between the land and its inhabitants – across imagined geographies, where the landscape itself functions as an active participant, both a protective and playful presence, manifesting in womb-like, cradling forms that draw in the viewer. Beckoned into a sanctuary of sorts, the viewer is invited to share in the unfolding and enfolding narratives at play, transported to a place to reflect upon place – and the way it shapes our imagination.
Jacobs has exhibited in solo and group shows in South Africa, with galleries including Southern Guild and at events including the Cape Town Art Fair. In early 2026 she will be exhibiting at Objects with Narratives in Belgium and presenting a solo booth at the Cape Town Art Fair. Also lauded as a furniture designer, she was recognised as a Design Indaba Emerging Creative in 2019, and later that year won Best Stand Award at 100% Design South Africa.
Education
2011 - 2014
BA Fine Arts degree, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Awards
2019
100% Design Best Stand, Jacobs Collection in collaboration with Wolkberg
2019
Jacobs Collection Incuded in Design Indaba emerging creatives
Exhibitions
Solo
2023
Enfold, Southern Guild Gallery, South Africa
2024
Enfold, unearthing Her layers, Calvalli Gallery, South Africa
Group
2022
Spring Awakening, Southren Guild Gallery, South Africa
2023
On Lines And Lineage, Calvalli Gallery in collaboration with Southren Guild Gallery, South Africa
2025
When Surfaces Speak, Ateljee Gallery, South Africa
2026
Diggin Traces, Objects With Narratives Gallery, Belgium