Is that how you treat your house guest?, 2022
The desire to understand myself and motivation soon evolved into an examination of personal and collective identity and how perception plays a pivotal role in how society interprets our values. As I became deeply immersed in research, I began to question my own identity and how it translated in my work. My multi-racial background proved to be a rich source of reflection and inspiration.
Kaima Marie is the daughter of a Nigerian immigrant and a white mother, which allowed her to exist simultaneously within two vastly different cultures. Kaima uses collage to discover the social implications of identity, with specific attention to the narratives surrounding urbanism and capitalism as they incubate in individual, familial and social tropes . She has showcased nationally in group exhibitions, including the Glendale Library in California, San Antonio Art League and Museum, the Houston Museum of African American Culture, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, winning “Best in Show” two years in a row at the longest running African American juried exhibition in the nation. She received the Carol Crow Fellowship in 2023, awarded by the Houston Center for Photography where she debuted her first solo exhibition solely constructed from collage. Kaima is also a recipient of the Houston Endowment’s 2024 Jones Artist Award and continues to garner attention from collectors and institutions. She is currently working on her MFA in painting at the University of Houston.