Inspired by architecture and design, Kevin Umaña’s works are abstract yet structured, displaying a huge variance in composition and an interest in color theory. In both his paintings and his ceramic works, many pieces have distinct patterns and repetitive forms. The process of glazing requires him to relinquish some control; he welcomes surprises that result from the natural chemistry of clay and kiln.
Kevin Umaña was born in Los Angeles and lives and works in Kansas City. Umaña received a BFA in printmaking from San Francisco State University. He is the co-founder of The Ekru Project and a contributor to The Coastal Post. He has exhibited nationally and internationally with DC Moore Gallery and Joshua Liner Gallery in New York; SIM Gallery in Reykjavik; Koppel Project Hive in London; In Live, in Taipei, and Bass & Reiner in San Francisco. He has been an artist in residence at the Center for Book Arts, and has also worked at the SIM Residency in Reykjavik and the Plop Residency in London. He has collaborated with Condé Nast, Wired Magazine, London College of Music, and Slowdown Studio. In 2017 he created a permanent installation at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Umaña will have a solo show in September 2021 at David Richard Gallery in New York.