keavy murphree

After starting a career in industrial design, Keavy Murphree migrated back to her first love: ceramics.

The Nashville artist now makes decorative and functional clay works that are equal parts minimal and modern.

Artist: Born in Chicago and raised north of the city, Murphree moved to Cape Coral, FL, halfway through high school.

She headed back up north for college and graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a degree in industrial design.

After practicing in the field for a number of years, Murphree found her way back to ceramics after a layoff in 2016.

Studio: Based in Nashville, Murphree opened her studio on The Clay Lady Campus, a cooperative of artist studios, in 2018. After over five years and two moves later within the campus, she set up a home studio in December 2023.

In the beginning: A ceramics class in high school sparked her interest in the medium, but she opted to study design in college because it seemed like a more practical route.

Art & materials: Ceramics sculptures, often inspired by flora and fauna, from small, table-top pieces and functional objects, to large-scale furnishings and wall art.

Depending on the piece, sculptures, surfaces are finished with a variety of techniques, including carved textures in clay or using vinyl stencils to create glazed patterns and shapes on the clay.

What’s popular: Bully sculpture ($650) in a variety of bold colors. Bully lives in a family with other abstracted animals, such as Rhino and Horny Biggs ($250 each).

Other favorites: Wall hanging face sculptures ($250 to $1,250).
Favorite tools: A slab roller and extruder.

Influences:

A visit to the Foundation Maeght, a museum of modern art in Saint Paul de Vence, France, in high school heavily influenced her path and work.
A blend of her background in industrial design, an ongoing exploration of ceramics and new experiences while traveling.

Exposure to different cultures and artistic movements.

“My work reflects a balance of whimsy and modern minimalism, showcasing my appreciation for playful creativity and sleek, contemporary aesthetics,” said Murphree.

Fun commission: A giant planter outside of Julia Martin Gallery in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston arts district. The planter is a big head and the plant creates the “hair.”

Recent project: Exploring a new sculptural medium that may involve stone and metals.

What’s next: Participating for the first time in The Harding Art Show in Nashville May 2-4.

Where to buy: