Artist Biography

Kipkemoi’s artistic journey began later in life. His creative voice didn’t emerge until he moved to Oakland, California, at age 26—a point when the city’s rich cultural and activist energy ignited his passion for visual storytelling. Starting with private practice at home, he spent six years honing his craft before his first public showing at Alena Museum, and eight years before his gallery debut at Betti Ono Gallery. Central to his work is the enduring question: “Where Is Home?”—a reflection on Black identity across the continents of Germany, Kenya, and the United States. His signature style features monochromatic portrait subjects set against vibrant, patterned backgrounds. This deliberate contrast focuses on emotional expression and universal human connection, while stripping away contextual bias. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2020, Kipkemoi has expanded his presence with a solo exhibit at Michael Hayden Gallery and contributed to corporate and public art initiatives, including the Lakers and billboard features

Statement

Artist Statement

My art is a dialogue between tradition and transformation—a visual journey that reflects my Kenyan heritage while exploring the emotional and spiritual questions that shape our humanity. I work to preserve memory, interrogate identity, and express the unseen layers of Black and African life. Whether painting the strength of a matriarch or the quiet of a child’s gaze, I aim to capture the soul beneath the surface.

Through rich textures, vibrant earth tones, and symbolic elements, my practice blends storytelling with introspection. My work often explores generational cycles, the tension between modernity and tradition, and the sacred nature of everyday life. I’m drawn to figures, landscapes, and motifs that feel rooted—grounded in the past, but reaching forward.

As a contemporary African artist, I believe in creating work that speaks locally but resonates globally. My art is not just an expression—it is a bridge, a statement, and an offering. I paint so that my people are seen, remembered, and reimagined—not as a single narrative, but as a living, evolving truth.

EXPLORE

Group Exhibition.

West Hollywood, CA.

Jennia - Works Available

Works Available

We Are All Made of Stardust, 2024

Acrylic on Canvas

36 x 36 in | 91.44 x 91.44 cm

.

INQUIRE

OTHER AVAILABLE WORKS

The Unknown is Where Dreams Live, 2025

Acrylic on Canvas

36 x 36 in | 91.44 x 91.44 cm

.

INQUIRE

Jennia - Press

Press

IN THE PAINT — Artist Spotlight
Jennia Fredrique Aponte

Jennia Fredrique Aponte, an artist from Gary, Indiana, pays homage to Black dancers and forgotten icons through intricate paper mosaics. Using rare, recycled, and handmade paper collected from her travels, Jennia crafts each piece to honor ancestors and envisions a future of inclusivity and joy.

Sol Aponte And Jennia Fredrique Seek To Amplify Voices In Black Art

Led by the husband-and-wife duo, Art Melanated is making a way for creatives of color—one exhibition at a time.

Meet the Husband and Wife Duo Shaking Up the Art World

Sol and Jennia Aponte are diversifying the overwhelmingly white art world by hosting traveling exhibitions of work by Black artists, thereby creating a new paradigm.

Jennia - Events

Events

International Debut

Meet us in Paris. We’re excited to announce that Art Melanated is making its international debut at the 10th anniversary of AKAA (Also Known As Africa) @akaa_fair Art Fair this October in Paris. As the only U.S. gallery selected to exhibit, we’re bringing the brilliance of our community to the global stage—and spotlighting a very special artist. Jennia Fredrique Aponte @jenniafredrique will present her first solo international exhibition, debuting her breathtaking new series: Clockwork Academy: School for Girls. Set in an alternate 1888, this visionary body of work reimagines Black girlhood at the height of the Industrial Revolution—where invention becomes identity, and sisterhood becomes power. 📍 AKAA Art Fair – Carreau du Temple, Paris 🗓 October 24–26, 2025