shane keena’s ceramic sculpture: poetic and prickly chimeras

Susan Lomuto | Jan 15, 2010 | Comments 6

Ceramic Shane Keena grew up in Southern California, surrounded by surf and sand. An avid scuba diver, Keena has had the opportunity to study a large variety of underwater plants, animals and rocks.

Marmoratus Nudicup, ceramic, luster, mixed media

Marmoratus Nudicup, detail

This ongoing discovery of sea life, along with inspiration from microscopic images of pollen, and exotic fruits like durian and jackfruit, have had a profound impact on the artist’s work. Known for his consistently beautiful glazes, each piece sports hundreds of prickly ceramic spikes, individually hand painted by Keena. While the work speaks to his own guarded nature, it also explores the universal issues of vulnerability and defense mechanisms.

Ibara, ceramic, luster, china paint

Ibara, detail

“My agenda is not to recreate what already exists in the world, but rather to create objects that are chimeras; the result of a blending of ideas begging the question; “is it animal, mineral, or vegetable?” I aim for my work to come to life within arm’s reach, where eyesight blurs into touch with the objective of creating new, enigmatic and uncategorized art-forms.”

Fugu, multi-fired earthenware, luster, individually china painted spines

“The objects I create are the by-products of a long personal investigation and echo the characteristics of my guarded personality. Reflecting a keen interest in structural defense mechanisms found in nature, my ceramic forms swell with bravado, often adopting aggressive or recoiling postures in a fight-or-flight state that protect the visceral interiors.”