CHRISTINA KIMEZE

Kimeze’s practice has attracted international attention, marked by her first major solo exhibition at South London Gallery and representation by Hauser & Wirth—one of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries.

Early Years

Born in London in 1986, Kimeze grew up immersed in the city’s vibrant cultural landscape. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences at the University of Oxford, an experience that fostered her analytical approach to observation and detail. Kimeze later pursued postgraduate studies at The Royal Drawing School in London (2021–2022), where she was awarded the Sir Denis Mahon Award. Before fully dedicating herself to art, she also designed eyewear for her brand, Kimeze. She continues to live and work in London, drawing inspiration from both her British upbringing and her Ugandan heritage.

Christina Kimeze Artworks

Christina Kimeze’s artworks are celebrated for their unique use of surface materials—most notably suede matboard—which she layers with dry chalk, oil pastel, and wet paint to create velvety, luminous textures. Her paintings and works on paper often depict solitary Black female subjects immersed in lush, abstracted environments filled with vibrant flora, architectural motifs, and rhythmic patterns. Through these compositions, Kimeze visualises the internal landscapes of memory, emotion, and identity, often referencing Black feminist writers and her familial connections to Uganda.

Early Developments: Stillness and Belonging

In her earlier series, such as those exhibited at White Cube Paris in 2023 (Something other than the world might know), Kimeze’s work was characterised by a sense of stillness and contemplation. These paintings drew on memories of her travels to Uganda and the writings of Gwendolyn Brooks, using richly coloured foliage and quiet interiors to evoke feelings of oneness and possibility.

Movement and Freedom: Between Wood and Wheel

Kimeze’s recent body of work, showcased in her 2025 solo exhibition Between Wood and Wheel at South London Gallery, marks a shift towards themes of movement, flight, and communal joy. Inspired by the resurgence of roller skating in Black communities in the UK and US, these paintings capture dynamic, fragmented figures in motion, enveloped by vibrant strokes and energetic marks. The series includes paintings such as Soaring (I) and Screen (I) (2024), as well as a newly commissioned tapestry made in collaboration with Dovecot Studios.

Material Innovation

Kimeze’s distinctive approach to materials—crushing and layering pastels, chalks, and paints on suede, velvet, and Lubugo bark cloth—imbues her works with a tactile, almost holographic quality. This material experimentation is central to her exploration of how texture and luminosity can express complex emotional states and ideas of ‘otherness’.

Select Public Commissions, Awards and Other Accolades

• Tapestry commission with Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh (2025)
• Sir Denis Mahon Award, The Royal Drawing School (2022–2023)

Exhibitions

Christina Kimeze has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions. Below is a selection of important exhibitions.

Solo Exhibitions

• Between Wood and Wheel, South London Gallery, London, 2025
• Hauser & Wirth West Hollywood, Los Angeles, 2025
• Something other than the world might know, White Cube, Paris, 2023

Group Exhibitions

• Women & Freud: Patients, Pioneers, Artists, Freud Museum, London, 2024–2025
• Drawing Biennial 2024, Drawing Room, London, 2024
• Soulscapes, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, 2024
• Present Tense, Hauser & Wirth, Bruton, 2024
• Interior, Michael Werner Gallery, London, 2023
• The Great Women Artists IV, Residency at Palazzo Monti, Brescia, Italy, 2022
• Black Rock, Year 5, Dakar, Senegal, 2024–2025

Website

Christina Kimeze’s website can be found here.

Christina Kimeze FAQs

Ocula | 2025