Judy Kensley Mckie
American
b. 1944
Judy Kensley Mckie is a leading figure in the American studio furniture movement whose work and career exist contemporaneously with other master craftspeople of the 20th century, including Wharton Esherick, Sam Maloof, George Nakashima and Wendell Castle.
The daughter of two graphic artists, McKie learned woodworking from her father as a child. After attending the Rhode Island School of Design to train in the graphic arts, McKie was still intrigued with furniture production and independently honed her skills in carving and design.
Over time, McKie developed a highly personalized and signature style deeply influenced by her fascination with Pre-Columbian, African, Inuit and Native American visual cultures. Each of her works wonderfully exhibits an imagination that blurs the expected norms of form and function.
In addition to numerous private collections, her works can be found in museums throughout the United States, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania, and the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut."
