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King, Kierah KIKI

American, b. 1998

BiographyFruitful Devotion centers nonbinary and femme Black queerness as paradigms for achieving unmitigated selflove. Commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Photography for the LOVE: Still Not the Lesser exhibition in 2023, Kierah KIKI King chose to choreograph sexuality as a type of gift that is unique, private for each person, and distinctly self-nourishing. King’s previous dance films Black Woman Why? (2021) and ACT 2 SCENE 2 (2021) focused on the autonomy of her generation of Black women. Both of those films were produced locally in Chicago during the COVID lockdowns, and they distinguished themselves among the dynamic proliferation of dance films that emerged as a necessity of the era.

Though becoming known as a strong director of dance films, King’s in-person movement practice remains central to her artistic work. In each form, she aspires to elicit a visceral and connective experience with her audience. King seeks her personal freedom, and joyfully entices her collaborators—and audiences—to join in as part of their
own processes.