Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix announces KUAMEN: Creep to the mic like a phantom, the UK debut exhibition by London-born, Paris-based artist Kuamen, curated by Christine Eyene. A poet, rapper, and multidisciplinary artist, Kuamen explores Black life and Afro-diasporic existence from the Parisian suburbs to the streets of Los Angeles. His work seeks to highlight Black contributions across diasporic spaces and denounce persisting forms of injustice. Through a variety of cultural references, he questions the notions of identity, territory, integration, and acculturation.

Titled after lyrics from Dr Dre’s 1992 track Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang, featuring Snoop Dogg, the exhibition takes its cue from what the artist describes as a revelation when he was first exposed to hip hop in London as a 10-year-old. When Snoop Dogg says, Dre creep to the mic like a phantom, these lyrics are more than just an introduction. They are a gesture of transmission, of passing the mic, quietly but with intention – a sacred moment of trust, respect, and legacy. For Kuamen, that sonic revelation has been a lifelong connection to the music and its message of resilience, rebellion, and representation. Something to which he could relate as a youth from Paris suburbs.

In hip hop language, the artist says, creeping to the mic can suggest a smooth but confident approach: like sliding in, unnoticed but with full control; while phantom conveys a quiet and mysterious ghostly presence, unseen but sensed. Likewise, this introduction to the London art scene acts as a symbolic return. It is a smooth but commending moment.

The exhibition brings together painting, sculpture, video, text, and sound. The works include Hood Boy (2022), a stone sculpture representing a figure with a hi-top hairstyle. It is a celebration of Black and Brown men raised in council estates, often misrepresented and feared, but full of spirit and pride. Accompanying this sculpture is Hood Boy Act II (2022), a compelling portrait painted after the sculpture, set against a deep black background. The figure bears familiar traits found in hip hop iconography, hi-top and grillz — symbols of power, beauty, and defiance.

The series of untitled poems (2023) and accompanying sound Los Angeles (2024) were created during a residency at Vacant Projects, Los Angeles. The poems were written while riding the metro, walking downtown, or listening to people living in the city’s margins. The artist mixed the languages he speaks (French, English, Creole, Lingala) to create a new form of dialogue. The soundtrack, co-produced with Canadian-based DJ Draft, features rap lyrics in French, English, Creole, Lingala and Spanish.
Two portraits from the artist’s new series Amara (2024) and Grandma Mabourou (2025), are inspired by 15th-16th century portraiture. They are influenced by the dramatic intensity of Caravaggio’s painting, but also resonate with the genre of Black portraiture developed by Barkley Hendricks. These paintings elevate contemporary Black individuals to a symbolic and dignifying status.

Finally, on the lower ground, the video performance and plaster sculpture Bangangoulou Kainfreestyle (2024) address the artist’s connection to his Bantu heritage through movement, music, image, and ritual. The installation evokes the notion of transmission and how the culture one carries can be remixed and given a new form.

eyonart.org