R.I.P. Germain’s practice traffics in double meanings, deep resonances and a tension between accessibility and occlusion. Trickster and guide, he tries to dance a fine line: making work that speaks to deep truths without cheapening them with explanations or flattening them out for easy consumption. Sedimented with layers dense with cultural meaning and reference, the extensive research undergirding R.I.P. Germain’s work draws from multiple genres of Black experience, history and culture – personal and collective, seeking to make art that is rigorous about his commitments and possibilities as a Black artist.

R.I.P. Germain has exhibited internationally and recent exhibitions include; Cubitt 30, a group show presented by Cubitt at Victoria Miro in London, UK; The Exhibition Formerly Known As “Trace Image” at Deborah Schamoni, Munich, Germany; Shimmer, a solo show at Two Queens in Leicester, UK; Four Bedrooms With An En Suite, A Garage & Garden In A Nice Neighbourhood, a solo show at V.O Curations in London, UK; Supastore Southside, Slingbacks & Sunshine, a group show hosted by Sarah Staton at South London Gallery; Ways of Living #2, a group show presented by Arcadia Missa at NICO in Bari, Italy; Dead Yard, a solo show at Cubitt in London, UK; Double 6 with Ashley Holmes in the former courtroom at Leeds Town Hall in Leeds, UK; and Gidi Up, a solo show at Peak in London, UK. R.I.P. Germain was also the recipient of the ICA Image Behaviour 2021 prize, which culminated in his first short film mew premiering at the ICA in 2022.

Fabric supplied by Sir Paul Smith. Scent designed by Ezra-Lloyd Jackson. With special thanks to Bounce Back, Sugavision Ltd, Ashley Holmes and Rose Jenson.

Photo: Mark Blower