Abbi Kenny

Cypress Grove Picnics in Our Federal Hill Yard

Mixed media on canvas

“I like to imagine that I am the archaeologist’s unexpected assistant—a painter and image-maker. My paintings are observations of now, but they could give insight into the materiality of this era to coming generations. I am building an artistic repertoire for the future.

By pulling together my perspective of materiality and beauty within the realm of everyday objects, I am exploring how objects come to surround us and their physical influence on us. Material culture is inseparable from the history of painting, and I aim to bring this together with my passion for food and cuisine. By documenting my unique vision as not only a painter but a wannabe culinary archaeologist, I am a mix of contemporary painter and still life master.” — Abbi Kenny

About the artist

Abbi Kenny

Abbi Kenny is an emerging artist and painter living and working in Boston, Massachusetts. She is an MFA candidate in painting at Boston University College of Fine Arts (2024). She received her BFA with honors in painting and a concentration in the Theory and History of Art and Design from the Rhode Island School of Design (2020). At RISD, she participated in the European Honors Program in Rome, Italy. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked in the Nicholson File Artist Studios in Providence, RI, until moving to Toronto, Canada, in August 2021, then to Boston. Abbi is a recipient of the Royal Drawing School’s Dumfries House Estate drawing residency and grant near Cumnock, Scotland (2019) and the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant in painting (2022). Her work has been exhibited across the Northeast.