My practice spans painting, sculpture, installation, writing and digital media. Through an ongoing artistic framework called The Constant State, I construct imagined cultures and temporal landscapes using the visual language of architecture, archaeology, museums and scientific archives. Individual works are presented as fragments of a larger world, inviting audiences to investigate fictional places through the evidence they leave behind.

I see imagination and creativity as fundamental human traits. Rather than simply sharing my own imagined worlds, I want to demonstrate what becomes possible when imagination is taken seriously. My work invites audiences to become active participants, constructing meaning from objects, environments and archives, and leaving with renewed permission to imagine worlds of their own.

Architecture continues to shape the way I think. Before becoming an artist, I spent over a decade working in architectural practice, an experience that informs my interest in space, systems, perspective and the relationship between people and the environments they inhabit.

Alongside The Constant State, I develop projects that apply the same approach to real places and communities. These include speculative civic projects such as PRTV, collaborative cultural programmes, exhibition curation, publishing and digital platforms. Although varied in form, they are united by a shared interest in imagination as a tool for understanding place, memory and identity.

The Constant State is currently being developed through SOMA: The Curse of Morozov’s Cube, a major new exhibition supported by Arts Council England, alongside a growing programme of commissions and other projects.

My long-term ambition is The Observatory: a permanent home for The Constant State, bringing together exhibitions, making, publishing, participation and research within a single evolving public environment.

Current interests include speculative archaeology, worldbuilding, institutional design, connected knowledge, participatory practice and the relationship between physical and digital experience.

  • Into The Light: Cultivate Commission — 2026
  • Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant — 2026
  • Biscuit Factory Artist Grant — 2026
  • North East Emerging Artist Award — 2025
  • Immersive Arts Explore Recipient — 2025

I’m interested in conversations around exhibitions, commissions, public programmes, talks, collaborations and research.

hello@davidkenney.studio

This website is the primary archive of my practice. For occasional updates as new work develops, subscribe to The Accumulator.