Christina Kimeze

Abstract This review of Christina Kimeze's debut institutional solo exhibition Between Wood and Wheel at South London Gallery reflects on the artist's exploration of memory, feeling, and liminal spaces. Set against the backdrop of emerging AI image generation, which challenges notions of authorship and artistic subjectivity, Kimeze's work serves as an antidote to technological replication, emphasizing the intangible qualities of human emotion. Inspired by Black roller-skating culture and the poem “Night at the Roller Palace” by January Gill O'Neil, Kimeze's paintings evoke a sense of blurred motion, geometry, and color, existing between figuration and abstraction. Recurring motifs, such as banana leaves, root the work in personal and cultural references, particularly the artist's Ugandan heritage. The exhibition explores the tension between individual and collective experience, reflecting on the impact of diaspora and the role of memory in shaping identity. Ultimately, Between Wood and Wheel is a testament to the power of painting, showcasing Kimeze's distinct style and her ability to translate emotions into vibrant, layered compositions. The exhibition posits painting as a uniquely human endeavor, a challenge to artificial intelligence, and a celebration of subjectivity in an increasingly homogenized world.