Olukemi Lijadu is a visual and sound artist who works with the moving image, philosophy and music. Lijadu DJs under the moniker *Kem Kem*. She uses the power of cinema to take viewers on audio-visual journeys of reconnection across the Atlantic. Lijadu approaches music as a living archive of communal memory and lost connections - critical given the fractured history of the Black diaspora worldwide. With heritage from Nigeria, the Caribbean and Brazil, the impetus of her artistic practice is both personal and political. Her academic training as a philosopher deeply informs her experimental approach to her expansive practice - she holds a bachelors and masters degree in philosophy from Stanford University, where she focused on African philosophy. Solo and group exhibitions have been V.O Curations, ICA London, Marian Ibrahim Gallery Chicago, and Manifold Deluxe at Frieze Cork Street London. She has been selected as a 2024 Villa Albertine resident where she will be exploring the connections between Chicago House and West African music.

*Kem Kem* has performed as a DJ in a number of prestigious art institutions, including Tate Britain, Serpentine (London), Bozar Museum (Brussels) and La Gaite Lyrique (Paris) and the National Museum (Lagos). Lijadu is currently based between London, UK and Lagos, Nigeria.


Download my artist portfolio here 
Download my dj electronic press kit here

The video on the frontpage is from a film she made in 2018 called little barbados, coming to this page soon.

olukemilijadu.com is an online portfolio and mixtape updated regularly by the artist.