Biography

            Kent Conklin is currently providing architects, design firms, galleries and private parties with a variety of fine arts in the ceramic medium.
            With his broad range of skills, Kent has completed various commissions and enjoys making his client’s vision come to life.  One installation in a custom home overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge was a plaster relief fantasy dining room in the style of Chagall.  Another commission was at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles: an arrangement of artifacts with a South Pacific theme.  He produced six figurative sculptures for the penthouse suites at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vagas.  He also designed and produced two unique tile murals for the Maui Marriott Hotel.  Kent worked with Quiksilver and was responsible for creating contemporary visions in tile for several of their new retail stores.
            When Kent introduced his Imperial Fruit Collection he established himself as a fine artist.  He continually sells the fruit collection at high-end galleries across the country.  His Imperial Fruit Collection has also been featured on the Carol Duvall Show.  Some recent shows have included the Beverly Hills Affaire in the Gardens Art Show, the Calabasas Fine Arts Festival, the Indian Wells Arts Festival, the La Jolla Festival of the Arts and the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts and Architectural Show. 

            Kent grew up in the artistic community of Laguna Beach, California and began working with clay at the age of twelve.  He was employed as a professional potter at age fifteen in 1975.  He worked with Marlo Bartels and John Brooks Pottery for a few years.  Kent participated in the popular Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach while still in high school.  Upon graduating in 1977, he began studying art, color and design, and art history at the Laguna Beach School of Art.
            Kent continued to study ceramics under an apprenticeship in New Zealand, exposing himself to more of the infinite possibilities with clay and firing in large bottleneck wood firing kilns.  When he returned to California, he continued his education at the San Francisco Art Institute, a school well known for its contemporary art program.
              After completing his education at the S.F.A.I., Kent began to learn more of the pragmatic applications of the arts while working as a head designer and mold maker for a commercial manufacturing company in Berkeley, California.  Here he applied his skills on commercial and industrial levels.
            A natural progression for Kent was to start his own business in the San Francisco Bay area. He worked with clients on product development and manufacturing.  In addition to running his own business, he continued to exhibit in the design showrooms of San Francisco.  One standout series consisted of large-scale vases that offered a variety of motifs and a multitude of rich glazes.
            After fifteen years in the Bay area, Kent returned to his hometown of Laguna Beach in 1994 where he has continued his pursuit as a ceramic artist.
            The coastal community currently provides an environment where Kent’s creative visions continue to flourish today.