Who is Kesh The Artist?

By Robert Cunningham
2 years Ago

Graphic pop artist, DJ and collaborator with American Apparel, Kesh, turned her back on the world in 2013 to live deep in a forest. Tonight she returns and i-D have the exclusive…

The information on this Kesh is Limited she is an artistic force of nature. She was 27 in the article below and Now 35 years old now.

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Kesh

Posing in knee-high, black Doctor Martens, army bomber jacket and a black beret pulled to one side, 27-year-old Keshia Kumari aka e-star Kesh is ready for combat. Today, actually, because her one-night-only art exhibition opens tonight at Art Basel in Miami and we’ve got the exclusive words and pictures from the woman herself. Recently turned recluse, Kesh, who rose to underground fame via the nu-rave and grime scene in London with names such as Dizzee Rascal and Roll Deep, packed up her atelier in LA nicknamed ‘The Cave’ and moved to woods deep in Northern California to recoup her creative energies and sharpen focus. We hiked up a long trail, tracked down a signal and drew the artist out for a rare talk about her life, her inspirations, her latest art project W@WW (W/hat @re W/e W/orshipping) and what’s rocking her world right here, right now.ADVERTISEMENT

You became famous when you were a teenager in a very DIY way. Looking back, what do you think it was you were looking for / looking to express?
I can’t say it was fame. It was interest from a number of people. But not fame. At that moment in time, I was simply exploring, looking for escape; looking for an alternate path to the cemented route usually taken in my hometown. I used what skills I had to get away and I shared them with whoever wanted to watch. I was a child of the internet. Social networks were already a big thing, so sharing my experiences through the internet seemed natural. It turned out that a lot more people were interested than expected. I was experiencing freedom. No rules. From making clothes to DJ’ing around the world, to working at SuperSuper magazine, to throwing raves. I was on one. I was free. I think that’s why people paid attention.

You moved from The Cave to the Woods, tell us how you felt on the day you left the Cave for the last time…
It was emotional. I began with a huge empty box, and that’s how I left it. Starting with minimal possessions, I filled it up, idea by idea and experience by experience. When the time came, I had to pack it away and bring it back to the empty box it once was. So the deconstruction process provoked a lot of emotion. I figured it all out in that place. I figured out who I am now and what I do. I locked myself away, defined my vision, and made my very first show there. The Cave holds a special place in my heart. But after time my mind moved forward. I finished up The Cave chapter with the American Apparel collaboration, returned from the tour, and packed everything. In the final moments, I took off my clothes and lay alone in the empty space, letting go of my attachments to it. Saying goodbye. Then I got up, got dressed, grabbed my stuff, jumped in the car and left LA, and headed to the woods. It was time to move away from the city. The people. The distractions. The noise. I needed to focus. I was tired of the surface. It was time to go deeper.

Has isolation been necessary to create? Why?
For this chapter yes, isolation was necessary. Disconnect to Reconnect. I stepped away from the chaos and distractions to observe things from a different point of view. When standing blissfully in the eye of the storm you can’t see how big and destructive it really is. A different perspective helped me analyze and interpret my thoughts into form. The disconnection gave me insight into the question I am asking: W/HAT @RE W/E W/ORSHIPPING? The removal of mass media, crowds, and indulgence in my own life helped me formulate the start of the answer. I don’t think it’s something I could have made whilst immersed in the chaos.

Are you really living in the woods? Can you describe your new place, what it looks like, the surroundings?
You’re not the first to ask me if I am really living here, and I keep wondering why? It’s weird. It’s like fake reality, scripted reality, pre-planned reality in media become so overbearingly common that real adventures become hard to believe in. Is that what it is? It seems that way. I’m living it. I’m out here. My place is deep in. The nearest town is 40 minutes away. It’s at the end of three dirt roads and sometimes I can’t even walk around at night because of a mountain lion that’s decided to hunt behind my studio. True story. It’s very next level. I am chopping wood, riding quads, climbing trees, jumping into freezing rivers, and wearing ski masks because it’s fucking cold. At this point in time, this is my life. And it’s amazing.