Greg Kennedy

Greg began working with clay while apprenticing to Mike McCollum at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, UNLV, in the early 1970s. Mike, a student of Peter Voulkos, instilled in Greg a deep appreciation of Japanese Momoyama era Ceramics, inspiring him to visit the 7 ancient kiln sites of Japan as well as the home and studio of Shoji Hamada in Mashiko.

Other travels in Greg’s life have focused on the ceramics of Great Britain, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Egypt, and Mexico. Etruscan, Cycladic, Classical Greek, and Pueblo pottery of the southwest have also woven their abilities into his work.

For 50 years, Greg has continuously worked to develop his clay aesthetic. During that time, he has also taught ceramics at cultural art centers, community colleges, and more recently, taught ceramics at the Idyllwild Arts Academy in California for 18 years. Greg also taught summer workshops in Idyllwild. Since moving to Deadwood Creek in the coast range of Oregon in 2004, the focus of his work has been on Raku and Saggar firing practices, along with High Fire and Porcelain. The development of each piece in this exhibit is an attempt to understand the complex mysteries inherent within these processes, while at the same time, he is trying to bring a little more beauty to our world.

“I am compelled to manifest my inner vision, to make mud stand up and take flight, to try to predict and to produce outcomes from apparent chaos, and to forge form with fire to accomplish a holistic unity of surface and structure.”