Since he was a small child, Jake Powning has been obsessed with the folklore and mythology of his ancestors, especially as it relates to smiths. He forged his first steel at an historic village, at age twelve. He has singlemindedly pursued his passion to make swords from that point on. Powning has sold work across the United States as well as in Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Romania, Cyprus and China. He was selected as one of the “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” in his home province of New Brunswick, Canada in 2005 and awarded the Emerging artist of the year award for 2006. Over the last year he has been involved in founding a non-profit organization along with other members of the ‘21Leaders for the 21st century’ called 21inc. focused on engaging and empowering other young leaders in the province, and exploring and identifying policy solutions to obstacles facing the province of NB. He has also traveled to Germany where he finished a collaboration with German smith Ulrich Hennicke.

Asked to describe his work Powning says,
“In my work, I seek to examine the blade as an iconic object. Over the last ten years, I have studied both the mythologies and folk traditions of the Nordic and Celtic cultures, as well as historic methods of sword making, including blacksmithing, pattern welded steel making techniques, wood working, and nonferrous metal arts. I have not sought to reproduce historical objects, but rather to interpret ancient mythology and conceptual motifs. My work is subjective, exploring wood grain, carved patterns, and pattern manipulation in hand made steel. In this respect, I have drawn somewhat from modern sculpture but also from tribal culture, including that of my own ancestry. The asymmetrical repeating patterns of nature have also influenced my work. This being said, I have endeavored to remain true to the ancient Brythonic and Scandinavian traditions that I am primarily drawing from. The utility and function of the blade is what gives it power as an object, therefore the sharpness, durability and balance of the blade, is the underpinning of the objects’ conceptual value.
My work is influenced by the Celtic and Norse traditions and is a modern exploration of these roots. I am deeply influenced by the human impulse to represent nature and interpret the natural web that we exist within. Traditional carving and design that has turned objects from mundane tools into things of beauty and mystery in all cultures is a deep source of inspiration to me. I am endeavoring to create modern artifacts, which examine the power of the blade as a mythologized object and seek to reawaken our interaction with mythology and to question the story we tell ourselves about our place in the world.”

Jake Powning is a passionate ambassador for his home province of New Brunswick. His work is strongly influenced by his natural surroundings; the great silences of the northern midnight, the beauty of the snowstorm, and the intricate unfolding of the northern spring.

Jake Powning is married to designer Sara Powning; they have two young daughters, and live in the tiny hamlet in the hills of New Brunswick where Jake grew up.

Jake has recently had images of his work published in a new book, titled “Blade’s Guide to Making Knives”, and recently had a piece on display in the international blacksmithing conference CanIron V, alsoshown at the Mary Black Gallery, in Halifax NS, fall 2005. He also has recently had a sword displayed at the Macao Museum of Art, in South East Asia, which presented the first ever museum exhibition of International Contemporary Bladesmiths, "MASTERS OF FIRE", October 2005 - January 2006.