”I just love paint, really.” For artist Christina Kimeze, painting begins with a physical attraction to the medium itself. Through colour, layered materials, and recurring motifs, she transforms personal experiences into visual worlds.
From her London studio, Christina Kimeze builds her paintings on an unusual surface: a suede-like board that sits somewhere between velvet and canvas. Coming from a background in biology, she has developed a highly experimental approach in her painting practice. Mixing oil paint, acrylics, pastels, and other materials in search of textures that can hold memory, emotions and experiences: “I’m often trying to push against how materials are traditionally used,” she explains: “Using unusual materials to try and flesh out ideas, build other worlds in the paintings.” Memory is central to Christina Kimeze’s practice. Drawing on personal experiences, family history, and visits to Uganda, where her father was born, she searches for visual forms that can evoke the way memories can feel rather than depict them. Kimeze wants to “give visual form to a memory,” she says, describing an interest in what “the texture of that is, what the smell of that was.”
Many of her paintings develop through repetition. Motifs such as leaves, architectural forms, and skaters reappear and gradually transform, moving between representation and abstraction. This process mirrors the act of remembering itself: traces of images return, shift and become something new. “In all honesty, I make my work for myself,” she says, though she still hopes that people will take something from it.
Christina Kimeze (b. 1986, UK) received a postgraduate degree from The Royal Drawing School in London, UK, and in 2022, she was awarded the Sir Denis Mahon Award. Before this, Kimeze completed an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford, UK. Kimeze’s recent exhibitions include ‘Between Wood and Wheel,’ South London Gallery, London, UK (2025); ‘Long loops,’ Hauser & Wirth, Los Angeles CA (2025); ‘Women & Freud: patients, pioneers, artists,’ Freud Museum, London, UK (2024); ‘Drawing Biennial 2024,’ Drawing Room, London, UK (2024); ‘Soulscapes,’ Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, UK (2024); ‘Present Tense,’ Hauser and Wirth Somerset, Bruton, UK (2024); ‘Something other than the world might know,’ White Cube, Paris, France (2023); ‘Interior,’ Michael Werner Gallery, London, UK (2023); and ‘The Great Women Artists IV,’ Residency at Palazzo Monti, Brescia, Italy (2022).
Christina Kimeze was interviewed by Roxanne Bagheshirin Lærkesen in her London studio in April 2026.
Camera: Rasmus Quistgaard Edited and produced by Roxanne Bagheshirin Lærkesen
Music via Upright: Kora Kora by John Etkin-Bell and Dominique Levack Kora Ballad by Josh Doughty Floating Away by Denis Levaillant
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2026 Louisiana Channel is supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond.
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Video Summary
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An artist discusses their deeply personal relationship with painting, focusing on the physical and tactile nature of the medium. They explore how their work is shaped by their heritage, specifically their connection to Uganda, and how they use various materials and biological inspirations to translate memory, identity, and community into visual art.
I do like pens, indeed.
I am taking a connection with the ways of doing,
And a pint in your drink,
and the resource's timeliness,
Beautiful, I think, of water.
I mean, it's a physical report, I hope.
What happens when you pull out the pen.
I think that's a big part of it, i.e.
We are recording in Wales.
I feel like working on this water
you can see it here, which is a Swedish sauna,
when dealing with the original water,
They have water enough to do it.
It's somewhere between Welsh and Swedish.
Often, I try
The cultural use of water.
There's something about that in all the work I've done, I think,
use excessive water to try
make thoughts,
The lives of others are dismantled in the blink of an eye.
I was getting a little entertainment
able to communicate at will.
I was experiencing a biological event,
I think we might be able to see the idea of effort
for my work.
The communication on this water here
To return work that is unique.
I am communicating about water that helps the idea,
You've given me something to think about,
You have been using it for me,
I often find myself thinking about how to get out of the water
I am your friend,
a vital aspect of the record,
That must feel real indeed.
This is the test, then.
That's the form of it, then.
The delightful truths.
I believe, I knew
the water bodies I'm working on
the communication and water,
I have to produce that,
I began to feel drowsy,
That was the job I had at school.
I was walking slowly toward the water
I am not a group
how the water should react to it.
That's when it started giving me rules,
that was the only thing that forced me
design a form to generate polypill
to add to this truth.
Well, I believe it's always
That's the thing I've done quickly.
He has always been in the same place.
I have been working on them.
I have been working on them
odd with my students.
I am not one of the artists whom I feel like an artist.
Was there not...
We had...
What you did as a child,
You had low and forward paths behind you.
My mother and father were longing...
I was going to the exhibitions and things.
That wasn't something that had been promoted.
I'm not concerned with this,
I had the opportunity to get involved.
I believe it's making me feel better.
It is difficult for the exhibitors to deal with this,
to do with...
I don't know, I can't do it
make my eyes water or something
if I can't do anything at all,
I believe it.
It's a way of showing that you exist.
Gallaf dweud hynny nawr yn edrych yn ôl,
and...
It's something I've always felt
That's what I would like done.
Actually, you know,
Those were the appearances I had,
Periods were part of my life
I will do more,
a, knowing,
I don't feel good about them.
I believe it.
Knowing that,
I was...
forever,
I was...
Those are indeed good fields,
I believe,
I was able to...
who knows,
That was the time then
I'll do it,
otherwise
I was cycling it
the gathering will be held,
who knows,
position,
to walk around the neighborhood
school
a...
who knows,
I had to make that decision.
I'll make it my focus,
Otherwise it doesn't work,
I don't believe it,
eraill,
who knows,
I had to attend interviews,
a...
science of instruments.
It's a deeper test of character
He is more than just a caretaker,
Most people have already left.
who knows,
They're going to go out
I was thinking it's about working alone,
in order to enable artists and others to perform in the room,
and it's the thing...
I found it interesting to be part of this community.
I learn from other people what they are using, what they are doing,
they don't think about themselves, like moving on from the partially occupied rooms,
Talk to the work.
That was great for me, in reality.
It's interesting when you think about designing something that's interconnected,
The design feels quite different when it interacts with something else,
When you present evidence for that, it provides much more insight into how the design is progressing.
What the design makes you feel, what the design makes you think about them.
I am drawing using an oil sketch, an acrylic sketch, pastels,
Whatever we may come up with from the studio. I believe, since the design is related, it's like a design,
You will begin contacting various mediators about it; they are making great efforts to reach a consensus.
They're always getting the most complicated things, which I find very interesting indeed,
I'm supporting some of the ideas I'm interested in. Some of the designs feel a bit overwhelming to me,
Good luck with the design I'm going to, if I need it, I'll go.
You know, we'll be in regular contact.
Good evening, and it's something that is,
You know, perhaps many other members will appear,
Of course, we'd make an effort for somewhere different, a few good designs, perhaps, and this one here is just a bit of practice.
There are a few paths in my work, and I believe that speaks volumes about everything we've been discussing.
I have information, and I welcome information regarding visiting Uganda.
That was my knowledge, and where I got my family, and trying to understand that more.
I wonder what part of me you know, I believe, you know, you do
Bob is starting from a personal organization because he knows your work, as you will know
That is living at the starting point,
It's trying to state what you're asking for.
I saw the things.
The Duke of York,
It takes a long time in Uganda,
and learning...
Many residents of the City,
is undergoing this experience,
you know a lot about this big part of the people you're referring to
by your stories of your periods and menstrual cycles,
If I were to live there, it would be about living there,
In reality,
You have this safety with you.
and I believe,
I believe that security would be very helpful to me,
The work is done,
otherwise it enables you to,
that is,
I'll see you,
I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.
datablygu,
Look after yourself,
You know,
life stories,
what could possibly be the reason for that,
You know,
Yes,
What I'm thinking is what he's drawing.
You know,
What's the matter with this,
in reality,
I me,
Of course,
Mae'n,
It's like,
Regarding that,
You know,
living fossils,
I believe there's a little bit of dust
That could be very useful for that,
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who knows,
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Yes
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It can be useful
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that's it
In a way,
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begin
how would I know
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Yes.
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You're welcome.
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You're welcome.
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I'm not concerned about the accusations made against me when I was being treated differently.
I was asked to take on this role and deal with the front.
I had the period from the beginning.
It was at the beginning.
I believe many of these paintings relate to the period of beginning.
In truth, they had little of the work.
There was little work in the area at the beginning.
This very role has been asked of me every single time.
with the original flowers and the path of this range and the range from the beginning.
I already knew.
I had been thinking about taking on this role
The way to use some ideas about schools and communities
I have been working on them.
In many cases, the motifs I use will be something rather static,
very well-performed, quite impressive, making it from the region or from the beginning.
I'm also interested in some things that are more...
I feel like I'm going off the rails here,
more effort, more...
more dynamic.
Felly dyna lle ddod o'r ysgolion rôl,
I was trying to think of ways to address some of those ideas
the walk between schools,
upon leaving school, regardless of any aspect of oneself, such as effort,
I had been looking at the effort,
a the fall of the ideas that go with it,
a performance, or the schools,
other historical archives.
I was there looking at something that was...
I.e., more dynamic and more for the community,
more about it, do you know,
you will have groups of people sharing the experience,
Indeed, you know, within your own experience.
Actually, I'm quite aware, you know,
as I said, reflect on those thoughts, then
in regard to some of those ideas,
They're coming from the way to my work.
Generally, I do my work for myself.
I know, when I do something,
I don't know if you're trying to provide something for yourself,
If you're trying to do design,
Better than the previous design you've been making,
Now, you know,
beth bynnag rydych chi'n teimlo ei fod yn gwaed yn y dylunio diwethaf,
You are trying to make it fair in the next design.
That's what it must be,
You know, it's about training,
I hope, as with water, with the idea,
trying, you know, trying to get in touch with him,
trying to do that recently.
Knowing that the impossible thing about designing
you know, you know, through one artist, you know,
Cael y profiad hwnnw yn y stiwdio
at this time, you know,
Get all that stuff out of there,
You never know, someone else might take a look at this work too,
believe, a, not knowing,
Do something else instead of that.
And I believe, to me, I believe,
that is, the impossible task of watching other people's work
I'm designing it so that, you know,
I'm dealing with the person who was made,
You know, it's that,
They are writing about their lives
In the language of living lives.