Street art trailblazer Kid Acne’s new show opens in Copenhagen
- Text by Alex King
Kid Acne is an artist, illustrator, print-maker and sometime MC from Lilongwe, Malawi who grew up under the grey skies of the East Midlands.
Huck caught up with the spotty-faced wunderkind and street art legend as his show All Hail Glycon goes on show at Copenhagen’s Limited Works gallery, until November 1.
Things That Inspire Me
The Birth Of Hip Hop
This mural was painted in conjunction with The Festival Of The Mind in Sheffield. FOTM is curated by Professor Vanessa Toulmin of the National Fairground Archive. One strand of the festival teams up academics from The University of Sheffield with makers and practitioners from the city. My unlikely collaboration is with Dr Katie Edwards who is currently researching the use and significance of religious imagery within popular culture. After seeing The Birth of Hip-Hop illustration I did some time ago, I was commissioned to paint the mural last week, which has been accompanied by a talk and Q&A at The Spiegeltent.
Lost Civilisations
I take inspiration from all over the place, though I’m particularly interested in theories of alternate history and lost civilisations. I’ve been watching documentaries and reading books by Graham Hancock, John Anthony West and Robert Bauval. All of which are informing my studio practice, both visually and lyrically.
Ramm:Ell:Zee
I’ve always been inspired by Ramm:Ell:Zee. His artwork, music and Ionic Treatise are all well worth checking. I think his analogy of wildstyle graffiti and illuminated scriptures are very interesting. I feel honoured and humbled to have met him and talked about his theories for a minute. Big up New Flesh. Rest in Panzerism!
Quentin Blake
Although I found my feet through painting graffiti as a teenager, with everything said and done – the real inspiration for my style comes from the work of Quentin Blake. I love the simplicity and rawness of his work. He and Roald Dahl were the perfect partnership in my view.
Travels
I would say traveling is the most rewarding thing to have come out of what I do. I feel very fortunate to have visited so many places around the world and to have met all these different people. Even the bad times become good times in the end. I always feel inspired after I’ve been away.
Music
I couldn’t work without music. Good music definitely helps me to switch off and get into the zone when I’m working. I’m currently enjoying the likes of Mndsgn, Strange U, Burgundy Blood and Jonwayne. I am also working on a new album and a couple of EPs due for release in the near future under the name Mongrels.
Check out Kid Acne’s All Hail Glycon show at Limited Works, Copenhagen until November 1.
Latest on Huck
This erotic zine dismantles LGBTQ+ respectability politics
Zine Scene — Created by Megan Wallace and Jack Rowe, PULP is a new print publication that embraces the diverse and messy, yet pleasurable multitudes that sex and desire can take.
Written by: Isaac Muk
As Tbilisi’s famed nightclubs reawaken, a murky future awaits
Spaces Between the Beats — Since Georgia’s ruling party suspended plans for EU accession, protests have continued in the capital, with nightclubs shutting in solidarity. Victor Swezey reported on their New Year’s Eve reopening, finding a mix of anxiety, catharsis and defiance.
Written by: Victor Swezey
Los Angeles is burning: Rick Castro on fleeing his home once again
Braver New World — In 2020, the photographer fled the Bobcat Fire in San Bernardino to his East Hollywood home, sparking the inspiration for an unsettling photo series. Now, while preparing for its exhibition, he has had to leave once again, returning to the mountains.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Ghais Guevara: “Rap is a pinnacle of our culture”
What Made Me — In our new series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that have shaped who they are. First up, Philadelphian rap experimentalist Ghais Guevara.
Written by: Ghais Guevara
Gaza Biennale comes to London in ICA protest
Art and action — The global project, which presents the work of over 60 Palestinian artists, will be on view outside the art institution in protest of an exhibition funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Written by: Cyna Mirzai
Ragnar Axelsson’s thawing vision of Arctic life
At the Edge of the World — For over four decades, the Icelandic photographer has been journeying to the tip of the earth and documenting its communities. A new exhibition dives into his archive.
Written by: Cyna Mirzai