Detail of Christina Kimeze’s Wader (Lido Beach), (2022).
Photo: Matthew Hollow
Next Big Thing: Christina Kimeze
The Royal Drawing School alum’s scenes of lone female subjects relishing moments of deep reflection depict anything but stillness
Christina Kimeze. Photo: Theo Christelis; Courtesy of White Cube
Solitude is an active state of possibility for Christina Kimeze, whose scenes of lone female subjects relishing moments of deep reflection or repose depict anything but stillness. Inspired by Kevin Quashie’s book The Sovereignty of Quiet, her solo debut this past summer at White Cube in Paris set protagonists against rich, hazy backdrops of foliage and domestic space.
Christina Kimeze, Pleasure, (2023). Photo: Theo Christelis; courtesy of a White Cube
Material matter: Moving beyond the ubiquity of canvas, Kimeze opts for a soft, tactile suede mat board; during her postgraduate studies at the Royal Drawing School in London, she found herself pushing against traditional materials to find a more absorbent surface. “It’s spongy and absorbs the light in a particular way, so you have to add it back in,” she explains of the fabric and crushed oil pastel technique. “You get this vibrancy, which in terms of palette and color is really important in my work.”
Christina Kimeze, I too wander, (2023). Photo: Theo Christelis; courtesy of White Cube
“Christina creates sensual paintings on suede board of lone haunting characters in domestic scenes that sit between figuration and abstraction”
Georgina Cohen
Christina Kimeze’s Wader (Lido Beach), (2022). Photo: Matthew Hollow
On view: This fall, Kimeze traveled to Black Rock Senegal, the West African artist residency launched by Kehinde Wiley; she will also be participating in a group show at Dulwich Picture Gallery titled “Soulscapes” in February 2024.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2023 Winter Issue under the headline “Next Big Things.” Subscribe to the magazine.
Click here to see the full list of “Next Big Things.”
Cover: Detail of Christina Kimeze’s Wader (Lido Beach), (2022).
Photo: Matthew Hollow
