Although originating from a very personal perspective Kenny’s work seeks to resonate with a shared visual consciousness of others, especially those who come from similar working class backgrounds. Indeed, she frequently foregrounds her northern England upbringing, memories of home and the aspirations of the working classes and their determination to better themselves.

The ideas of self-improvement and social mobility encouraged by Thatcherite philosophy of the individual and the decline of manufacturing after the second world war, created a generation of people whose aspirations fell far from the factory floor. Kenny never loses sight of how these formative early experiences have continued to shape how she perceives the world around her and her artistic practice.