Following his father's death, the eldest of the Ogata brothers took over the Kariganeya, allowing Kenzan and Kōrin to enjoy their inheritance and pursue pottery and painting.
Ogata studied with the potter Nonomura Ninsei whose Omuru kiln was located at the front gate of Ninna-ji.
[3][5] In 1699, Kugyō Nijō Tsunahira provided Ogata with a mountain villa in Ukyō-ku, Kyoto where Kenzan established his own kiln.
[2][3] In 1731, Kenzan was invited by Cloistered Imperial Prince Rinnojinomiya Kinkan to move to Edo where he spent the remainder of his life.
Ogata produced a distinctive style of freely brushed grasses, blossoms, and birds as decorative motifs for pottery.