SUSAN McKINNEY

Susan McKinney is a ceramic artist and award-winning industrial designer focusing on color, material, and finish, collaborating with clients working at the intersection of technology and craft. Susan began exploring clay’s materiality in 2008, connecting her passion for inventive design with natural materials. In 2018, Susan founded her own ceramics studio SKINNY Ceramics, which has evolved into her eponymous practice Studio Susan. The studio is a place for Susan to explore art, design, and craft under one roof, and is the outlet through which she makes and sells her one-of-a-kind art pieces, as well as providing design consulting services.

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Today, Susan’s ceramic and glass work is known for its expressive, organic forms, uniquely woven style, and boundary pushing experimentation. Her work seeks to connect people to their own sense of wonder through objects that go beyond our everyday experience. Susan creates inspired pieces for art collectors, interior designers, and commercial clients, ranging from wall hangings, 3D sculptures, and airy vessels. Over the years, her design contributions have received honors from IDEA, Spark, FastCo Innovation by Design, and her ceramics have been featured in exclusive collections with West Elm and SSENSE. She has completed artist residencies in Greece, Denmark, and Japan, and today resides in Marin, California.