KESSWASTUDIO@GMAIL.COM
BIOGRAPHY
ARTIST STATEMENT
CV
SELECTED WORK
MUSIC/MERCH
KESSWASTUDIO@GMAIL.COM
BIOGRAPHY
ARTIST STATEMENT
CV
SELECTED WORK
MUSIC/MERCH
Kesiena Wanogho, also known by her stage moniker KESSWA, is a transdisciplinary artist from Detroit, MI. As a performance artist, producer, and social practice artist, her work weaves pedagogy, fiber, video, music, interactive technology, and spoken word to function as a resource for healing. She has received a BA in Sociology from Wayne State University and an MFA in 4D Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her work with renowned musician Shigeto, “Is My Mind A Machine Gun?” (2021), premiered on the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit’s (MOCAD) new media platform, Daily Rush, and premiered as a performance art piece at Dlectricity’s 2021 Festival.
KESSWA is a 2026 Modern Ancient Brown Artist-In-Residence, a 2022 Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellow, and a 2020 McArthur Binion “Pay-It-Forward” Grantee. KESSWA has toured Germany as Detroit-Berlin Connection’s premier artist-in-residence. She has performed at Pop-Kultur Festival and Haldern Pop Festival. She has also performed in support of avant-garde artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Sudan Archives, The Sun Ra Arkestra, and Rashaad Newsome at institutions such as The Cleveland Museum of Art, The University of Michigan Museum of Art, The Pinault Collection, Hotel de Talleyrand, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Most recently, she is a featured artist on Theo Parrish’s DJ-Kicks compilation, “Detroit Forward,” and Shigeto’s third studio album, “Cherry Blossom Baby,” on Ghostly International