1974至1977年期间，雅克•考夫曼在日内瓦应用艺术学院学习陶瓷，之后开始以自由艺术家的身份在日内瓦工作。
1984年至1986年，他在卢旺达的瑞士技术合作机构工作，领衔“陶器行动”项目。在那里，他不仅切身感受到了不同文化间的交流，体验了“追根溯源”的陶艺技术，而且作为艺术家，参与用成千上万块砖制作而成的“泥土之尺”的巨作。
1988 年，他在法国靠近日内瓦的地方开设了自己的工作室。
1995 年至 2014 年，他在瑞士沃韦应用艺术学院任教，并从 1996 年起担任陶瓷系主任。
自1999年以来，他在中国参与了许多交流活动，这使其成为中国和欧洲陶艺交流的重要桥梁。
2008 年，雅克•考夫曼加入了日内瓦环境、工程和建筑学院（HEPIA）的一个研究小组，参与一项与城市建设相关的绿墙项目。
曾在世界各国参展或举办个展。
2012至2018年，任国际陶艺学会主席，现为该学会荣休主席。
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.
