Jun Kaneko: Art at Scale

One of my favorite things in the world is photographing and filming art with artists in their studios and out in the world. Kilroy Realty, one of my longtime clients, invited me to do just that. At their Kilroy Oyster Point campus in San Francisco, they had just installed two monumental public artworks by Jun Kaneko. My assignment: capture the art on campus, create a short documentary on Kaneko himself, and document the candid human moments that bring it all to life.

 
 

Monumental Works at Kilroy Oyster Point

The campus installation included Velocity, a massive sculpted head painted blue in the back and pink in the front—meant to capture the feeling of moving through space at high speed. Alongside it stood Dango, a bold patterned form echoing basket weaving traditions from Japan. Photographing these pieces with people interacting in the lush outdoor spaces brought scale, context, and story to the art.

 
Large striped ceramic sculpture being detailed at Kaneko’s studio
Industrial kiln space at Jun Kaneko’s Omaha studio

Following the Artist to Omaha

To tell the full story, we flew to Omaha, Nebraska, where Jun Kaneko and his wife Ree operate their expansive artist compound. Over the course of a week, we toured multiple factory-style buildings, studios, and the largest kiln in the world. We watched clay take shape, paint applied in impossibly precise lines, and giant ceramic forms come alive. Every space hummed with energy.

 

Inside the Creative Machine

The Kanekos’ studio isn’t just a workplace—it’s a cultural engine. Their output is vast, disciplined, and inspiring, reminding me of the scale of Warhol’s factory. From sketchbooks full of ideas to massive sculptures used by orchestras, their art pushes boundaries and crosses disciplines. It was humbling to witness that level of vision up close.

Interior of Jun Kaneko’s Omaha studio filled with natural light and artworks

Capturing Candid Moments

Throughout our time in Omaha, I leaned into a candid style of photography I’ve been refining. These images—artists at work, quiet gestures, small human details—added layers of intimacy to the story. By the end of the week, we had more footage and photos than we ever expected. It was exhausting, exhilarating, and one of those rare projects where I knew in the moment: this is special.