Mankind has always used art as a mirror to life, this method of storytelling emerging from everyday experiences and illuminating our base nature. This tradition is the foundation of my artistic practice. My work explores the human experience by connecting the self to the collective, whether through family dynamics, the definition of home, or navigating relationships..
Drawing from the meticulous observation of naturalist drawings, pieces become both scientific studies and intimate portraits. Animals, rich in symbolism, offer endless creative possibilities. They become characters, defined by their place in our collective lore. I place special emphasis on color interaction, drawing inspiration from the Alaskan landscapes that surround me to create surreal color palettes.
Clay allows me to recreate these landscapes with textured movement, achieving dimensional presence I normally couldn’t in the two-dimensional. Ceramic glaze surfaces add depth by emulating natural light and atmosphere. Placing these subjects in compositions on the wall elevates them and evokes sacred imagery. Their floating positions reinforce that they belong to a world adjacent to our own, blurring the line between reality and fantasy, story and truth.
At the heart of my work is simple curiosity and reverence for the human experience. I invite the viewer to reflect on how parallel structures, one rooted in culture, the other in science, shape our understanding of lineage, belonging, and place in the broader web of life.
Kendra Harvey was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. In 2018, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree focusing on ceramics and painting. Wanting to continue her arts education, she relocated to Colorado. There she participated in a post-bacc program before moving to Montana to intern at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts.
Currently, she continues her studio practice in her homestate. Her work focuses on animal forms, using them to investigate how lore is created as a reaction to the natural world.