John Kaufmann was born in Montréal, Québec. He is the son of the late Canadian surgeon Dr. Mark Kaufmann and his Bermudian wife Jeannette Hollis Roberts. During his developing years as an artist, he became a pupil of Arthur Lismer, one of the famous Group of Seven artists. He also studied under Richard Jack in Montréal. At McGill University he studied art and design under John Lyman and in the United States he continued his studies at Bard College Annandale on Hudson under Luis Shanker. When in Bermuda he furthered his artistic development under the guidance of Ben Shepherdson.
 
Kaufmann's paintings hang in important corporate and private collections in Bermuda including Government House and abroad.
 
John is best known for his unique impressionist seascapes and landscapes. He primarily paints in his home studios Tranquillity in Somerset, Bermuda and Hamelin Farm in Colebrook, New Hampshire. In 1999 he was awarded the Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honor in recognition of his contributions to art and architecture in Bermuda.