Josie Jenkins was born in Yorkshire, United Kingdom, in 1980. She studied for her BA Hons in Fine Art (Painting) at Norwich School of Art and Design, graduating in 2002. In the UK, she has worked as an artist in Hull and Nottinghamshire, before settling in Liverpool. Jenkins is a director of Arena Studios, an active artist studio group that has been an integral part of the grassroots Liverpool Art Scene for over thirty years. In September 2013 Jenkins was shortlisted for the New Lights Art Prize, a competition and accompanying exhibition recognising the talent of young Northern artists in the UK. She was presented with the main prize, the Valeria Sykes Award, which has supported her trip to China and residency with CEAC.