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CV

Education

Cranbrook Academy of Art, 4D Design/Interaction Design
MFA
2025

Wayne State University
Sociology
BA
2017

Selected Performance Works

2026

2024

2021

2019

2017

1139 Lety’s, 16th Annual Dakar Biennale (Dak’Art), Palais de Justice, Dakar SN

Transcendence Closing, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

“Is My Mind A Machine Gun” Dlectricity w/ Shigeto, Detroit MI

Cherise Morris - Visions of The Evolution, Room Project

Rashaad Newsome, "Shade Compositions", Detroit Institute of Arts

Rashaad Newsome, “King of Arms”, Detroit Institute of Arts

Selected Musical Performances

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Shigeto Live Ensemble India Tour 2025

AntiSocial, Mumbai IN

Bud x Loft, Goa IN

Detroit Institute of Arts, 7 Mile + Livernois After Dark with DJ KESSWA

Shigeto Live Ensemble, Cherry Blossom Baby USA Tour

Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia, PA

Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington, DC

Elsewhere Space, Brooklyn, NY

Jazz Is Dead, Los Angeles, CA

Gilbert Family Foundation Dinner, Dive Studios, Detroit, MI

Shigeto Live Ensemble, UFO Factory, Detroit, MI

Gilles Peterson & Friends: Next Gen, Spotlite, Detroit, MI

Laetitia Sadier at Third Man Records, Detroit, MI

L’Rain, I Killed Your Dog Tour, Red Door Digital

Suzi Analogue: Never Normal Presents Miami Let's Make A Mixtape

KESSWA at Blank Forms, New York City

Mike Kelley’s Ghost & Spirit Presents Sun Ra Arkestra, Pinault Collection

Shigeto Ensemble at Movement Festival, Detroit

AMC @ Night, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Ann Arbor MI

Detroit Make The World Go Round, Shigeto Live Ensemble

Cities Without Houses, Soho House

Queer Night @ UMMA, University of Michigan Museum of Art

The Siren Presents KESSWA, Hooked on You

keiyaA “Forever Ya Girl” Tour, Detroit MI

Portage Garage Sounds, Forever, Marble Bar, Detroit MI

KESSWA Germany tour

Pop Kultur Festival w/ TEREZA & George Kranz, Berlin, Germany

Vibin Festival, Wuppertal Germany

Haldern Pop Festival, Rees Germany

Musicboard & Silent Green Sommerfest, Berlin Germany

Allied Media Conference Opening Ceremony WSG Esparanza Spalding

Sudan Archives Athena World Tour, Deluxx Fluxx

House of Vans “Sessions”, El Club

Jordan Rakei Origin Tour, El Club

Detroit Art Week, Manifest Destiny, The Belt

Dequindre Cut Summer Series

Summer Solstice, Cleveland Art Museum with Shigeto

Janette King North American Tour, Armageddon Beach Party

Slice Detroit, Detroit is Techno City and Techno is Black

Cliff Bells with Sasha Kashperko

UMMA After Hours, University of Michigan Art Museum

Opal Soul Album Release, The Loving Touch

Kesswa WSG DJ Kayla Hensley, Lo-Fi Bar

River Spirit Album Release, Outer Limits Lounge

Vidlings and Tapeheads Film Festival, Ant Hall

Freedom Nicole Moore, Trixie’s

Club 414, London, England

Cousin Mouth Album Release, The Schvitz Health Club

Video 7, Cable Night, El Club

Karen Meat featuring Dana T., Trixie’s

Choreographer/Performer - Sudan Archives, Tune-Yards Tour, Majestic Theatre

Firehouse Music Series One Year Anniversary

King Visionary, South By SouthWest Music Festival Official Showcase

Suai Kee, Idlewild Music Festival

Suai Kee, Jazz Cafe at the Music Hall for Performing Arts

Selected Residencies

2026

2023

2022

Buffalo Prescott

Modern Ancient Brown Core Program Residency

School of the Alternative

School of Making Thinking Immersion 4.0 Resident

Selected Exhibitions

2025

2024

2023

2022

2019

2018

Detroit Salon, Hotel de Talleyrand, Paris FR

Co-Alchemy, Cure Nailhouse, Detroit MI

Graduate Degree Exhibition, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield MI

Between Worlds, The Meeting Place Art And Cultural Center, Detroit MI

4D , Hatch Gallery, Hamtramck MI

Space/Time, Forum Gallery

Transcendence, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (Solo Exhibition)

Google Creators Lab Season 7, Texas Isaiah collaboration

Spectral Grounds: Black Experimental Film, Culture Art Society x Monangambee

Public Matter/Dinkinesh, Detroit Art Week

This is Not Normal” Art Showcase, Riopelle Art Studio

Awards

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

Culture Source Creators of Culture Grantee

Gilbert Family Foundation Fellowship
Full Tuition Scholarship

Kresge Artist Fellowship
Interdisciplinary

Bulk Space Mini Grant Recipient

Foundation for Contemporary Arts - COVID-19 Bridge Fund

Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik Fellow

Detroit Berlin Connection Artist in Residence

Modern Ancient Brown “Pay it Forward” Grant

Press

2025

2024

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

“CO-ALCHEMY: KESSWA and Ian Soloman on the Transformative
Capacities of Disordered Attention, Ritual Opacity and Collaboration” Runner Magazine

“Shigeto, ‘Cherry Blossom Baby.’” Bandcamp Daily

“Album Review: Shigeto Reflects on His Journey and Pays Homage to Detroit in Cherry Blossom Baby.” Stereofox Music Blog

“Shigeto: ‘Cherry Blossom Baby’ Review.” Crack Magazine

“DJ-Kicks: Theo Parrish” Pitchfork

“Theo Parrish - DJ-Kicks: Detroit Forward” Crack

“Kesswa Collabs with Shigeto on MOCAD-Commissioned Short Film “Is My Mind A Machine Gun?” Audiofemme

“Paying it forward: McArthur Binion is using his later-in-life success to help younger artists” The Art Newspaper

“Kesswa Has Found Her Happy Place in Soothing Dance Music” Hour Detroit

“Experimental Singer Kesswa Merges Disparate Influences on “Soften” Bandcamp

“PREMIERE: Detroit's Kesswa gets down to earth in 'To Find” Detroit Metro Times

Last Updated 24.10.31

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