Kapwani Kiwanga

Kapwani Kiwanga develops research-driven works that put historical accounts into dialogue with material and spatial experience. Born in Hamilton, Canada, she studied anthropology and comparative religion at McGill University before studying art in Paris. Her practice spans installation, sculpture, photography, video and performance, often returning to histories that have been marginalized within dominant accounts. Flowers for Africa reconstructs floral arrangements from archival images, while other works use architectural surfaces and carefully chosen materials to address power and circulation. She represented Canada at the 2024 Venice Biennale with Trinket. The artist's site links directly to her representing galleries, where project documentation adds scale and context. Begin with the materials of a particular work, then follow the historical research that gives those materials a role beyond their immediate appearance.