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Kevin Snipes is an accomplished American artist known for his ceramic work that blurs the boundaries between craft and art. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Snipes has cultivated a unique artistic style that combines narrative figure drawing, text, and hand-formed porcelain constructions, resulting in multi-layered objects that can be interpreted as paintings.

Snipes earned a B.F.A. in ceramics and drawing from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1994 and completed his graduate studies at the University of Florida in 2003. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards and artist residencies that have contributed to his artistic growth and recognition. These include fellowships at The Clay Studio of Philadelphia, The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences in Rabun Gap, GA; The American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, CA; Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in New Castle, ME; A.I.R. in Vallauris, France, and C.R.E.T.A. Rome.

Noteworthy accolades in Snipes' career include the Taunt Fellowship from the Archie Bray Foundation in Montana in 2008, the McKnight Residency award from Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN in 2011, and the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant in 2014. His work has been exhibited extensively both nationally as well as internationally and is featured in prominent collections such as the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art in Cedar Rapids, IA, and Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA.

As an artist who has actively engaged with diverse communities and belongs to a historically marginalized group, Snipes' intellectual focus centers around understanding the social dynamics of Otherness. Rather than creating art that solely reflects a love for or victimization of African Americans, he delves into the underlying issues surrounding the recognition of difference. His work operates on a personal and intimate level, inviting viewers into a private investigation of the objects he creates. This act of confrontation between a single viewer and a single object sets the stage for a dialogue on the nature of subject-to-object relationships, ultimately becoming a metaphor for the concept of otherness. Snipes believes that true progress in eradicating racism can only occur when we view others as part of ourselves.

Throughout his adult life, Snipes has embraced an itinerant existence, allowing the sense of place to shape his identity and contribute to the ongoing dialogue within his work. Currently residing in Philadelphia, PA, he is actively developing a rooted sense of self through community engagement and his dedicated studio practice.