The 31 -32 inch plate series started in 1993 while teaching ceramics at San Antonio College, in Texas. This large format was developed to make a wide area for surface designs. Technically, the large size is more difficult to make and fire than the smaller sizes.
Kenney’s main thought is to make ceramic art that very few can copy and to be as original as possible. These large plates utilize similar characteristics of the small plate designs but the larger format makes a greater visual impact like a large painting.
All of Douglas Kenney’s ceramic art is made by hand from start to finish by the artist. The art on this site is for sale unless otherwise noted and is most of the current inventory. There are a few others available that are not on this website.
This ongoing series of work is created on a wheel with slabs of clay decorated with clay slips and powder in the wet state. Each slab is then placed on plaster mold and a wheel thrown foot is joined to the back of the slab.
On some, the lip is cut to make a geometric shape and others they are left round. After careful drying each piece is bisque fired in an electric kiln. Next, the bisque ware is washed thoroughly with water, allowed to dry, and then colored clay slips are brushed, splashed or sprayed to make the final surface decoration.
Clear glaze is applied and fired to Orton cone 5 (approximately 2200 F). All of these plates are cabled with marine grade stainless cable and fittings for wall display. The cable can be slid around the foot 360 degrees for a different hanging orientation if desired.
Born in 1962, San Diego, California, Doug Kenney first worked with clay as a teenager. Next, he took classes at San Diego Mesa College where he earned an Associate Degree in Crafts with an emphasis in Ceramics in 1983. Afterwards, Kenney earned a Bachelor Degree in Applied Design – Ceramics from San Diego State University in 1985.
In 1987 he enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Craft which culminated with a MFA Degree in Ceramics in 1989. From 1989-95 Kenney taught Ceramics and Art classes and San Antonio College in Texas. In 1995, he took a hiatus from teaching and participated in an artist in residence program at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, in Shigaraki, Japan.
Returning to the US in 1996, Kenney established a studio in an industrial space in Santa Barbara, California until 1999. In 1999, he moved to Kailua, HI on the island of Oahu and built a new studio space. Kenney moved the studio once again, in 2010, to a 1.81 acre property near Mt Helix, a suburb of San Diego. It is here where he presently maintains a studio and residence.
Kenney’s ceramic exhibitions have been held in Paris, Tokyo, Seoul and many important cities throughout the U.S. Major collectors include: Smithsonian American Art Museum, The City of Honolulu and the The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park Museum.
Kenney says, "My abstract ceramic pieces are experiments in design. Finding balance between geometric and organic is my goal, like the ideal relationship between humankind and the environment. Abstract design welcomes a little chaos, so long as it does not affect the craftsmanship or integrity of the piece." The forms, colors and glazing and firing techniques of Kenney's work have been developed over three decades of working with clay. Living in Hawaii for 11 years has put a little twist of Hawaii into the visual language of the surface decorations.
Kenney's original concept of old and new ceramics (developed in graduate school) is now an abstracted version of the same idea. He uses traditional forms plates and vases along with stack forms, sculpture and tile to display this surface treatment. Kenney say's, "The excitement in ceramics for me comes from the process of making objects and the finished product when displayed. I like bright colors that stand out while the layering of information creates an illusion of depth. The approach is similar to that of abstract paintings but with ceramics the shape of each object and the permanence of firing make a unique statement."
The latest challenge Kenney is faced with is the completion of the 50' X 30' new studio that is to be built next to his new house on a 1.81 acre property in the Mt. Helix area of San Diego County. It is here where Kenney will continue his ceramic art making endeavors. The new state of the art studio is to be nestled among 85 foot pine trees on a 125' X 65' building pad.
Kenney's ceramic art is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, the City of Honolulu, and the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park Museum, in Japan. His art has been exhibited in many important cities throughout the United States, Paris, Tokyo, and Seoul