Design
Kendall Davis ceramics
Earthen Clay Compote bowl, made from raw and unglazed Hawaiian red clay.
Image courtesy of: Food 52, photographed by: Ty Mecham and James Ransom
Kendall Davis is a ceramics artist from Texas that creates beautifully crafted utilitarian ceramic pieces. The artist likes to say that everything she makes begins with a bag of clay. The clay is thrown, trimmed, dried…and fired into gorgeous designs. The amazing thing about Davis’ pieces is that they look like works of art; but in fact, they are items that can be used for everyday purposes.
Ansel Sake Set includes one ceramic carafe, four ceramic cups, and one wooden serving board.
Image courtesy of: The Dowry
Home is Fort Worth and Davis works out of a cheerful studio on a charming street named Magnolia. Her mini storefront holds true to her basic philosophy: “mindful designs for life.”
Inspiration comes from many different sources; however the two influences she counts most important are Ansel Adams and Agnes Martin. Adams is best known for his black and white landscapes while Martin is an abstract expressionist whose work is considered minimalist. In such, Davis designed a collection she calls Agnes and Ansel. The pieces are 100% handmade and fired twice after they’ve been dried to ensure the perfect finish.
Agnes Large Serving Bowl, 9″
Image courtesy of: The Dowry
The Agnes Collection is made from red clay that was dipped in a cream matte glaze in order to achieve a perfect “aged look.” No two pieces look the same; rustic in style they come with a “story to tell.”
The beautiful collection includes an 11″ dinner plate, an 8″ salad plate, a 5.25″ cereal bowl, and a 7.5″ salad and noodle bowl. In addition, there are serving bowls, candlesticks, vases, a pitcher, and a wine tumbler. Personalization is available on the bottom of the dinner plates.
Yurt Vase, a recent addition to Davis’ bud vase collection. Wheel-thrown with dark clay and finished with a matte cobalt glaze.
Image courtesy of: Kendall Davis Clay
Davis’ designs express a simple shape and color. She hopes that her wares will prove to be functional aspects of everyday life and eating experiences, as well as a reflection of a unique design aesthetic.
Davis’ storefront serves as both her studio and retail space. The tiny 15 x 15 foot-room has two bookshelves filled with her pottery and a floor stacked with “still wet” cups, bowls, pitchers, and plates. Her pottery is full of small details such as her palm and fingertip impressions.
The artist, her dog…and the studio.
Image courtesy of: Kendall Davis Clay
Davis has been making pottery for twenty years, as she was an art major in college. As an undergraduate student, Davis initially studied photography; she transitioned to painting and drawing in graduate school. She says that looking back at her paintings, it is easy to see that they are reduced, minimalist studies.
Ceramics is a very time-consuming process, and a lot of drawing happens in between. Davis says (courtesy of an interview with Brian Kendall for Fort Worth Magazine), “You have to coordinate what you’re doing, at what stages the pieces are, everything I have to take home to fire, not once but twice. I fire it once, then I glaze it, then I fire it again, then it gets sanded, then I bring it back.” The process is complex for Kendall, working as a singular artist and doing everything on her own…but she would not change it for anything!
