After ceramics studies at the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Geneva (1974–1977), Jacques Kaufmann started to work in Geneva as a free artist. From 1984–1986, he lead the project “Ceramic Action” for the Swiss Cooperation in Rwanda. There he was confronted to intercultural exchanges, the “back to origin” of the ceramic‘s technology and, as an artist, to the “earth scale”, carried by hundreds of thousands of bricks. In 1988, he opened his actual studio nearby Geneva, in France. From 1995 to 2014, he taught at the Ecole d‘Arts Appliqués in Vevey, Switzerland, and become chair of the ceramics department in 1996. Since 1999, his activities in China has allowed him to contribute to exhibition exchanges, in Europe and China. In 2008, Jacques Kaufmann has joined a research group at Hepia, the University for engineering, architecture and landscape architecture in Geneva, for a project linked to green walls, at city scale.
Numerous individual and collective exhibitions, internationally.
President of the International Academy of ceramic (2012-2018), and actually, Honorary President of the IAC.