Kezia Waters(he/they) is an anti-disciplinary artist whose work is deeply rooted in storytelling. Their practice leans heavily into sonic performance, guided by the principles of deep listening, where bodily and emotional intelligence hold central importance. Through their process, they engage with the immediacy of the moment, manipulating elements by repeating, elongating, reducing, and expanding them in ways that reflect intuitive response and jazz sensibilities. Time traveling serves as both a thematic focus and a creative methodology—functioning as a praxis and pedagogy within their work—allowing them to explore layered temporalities, and blur theatrical boundaries.
Kezia’s upbringing under a Black Liberation Theology informs their artistic exploration, even as queerness reframes and reimagines those traditions. They received their MFA in Acting from Ohio University and an MFA in Studio Art from School of The Art Institute of Chicago. They have served as an adjunct professor for Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.
They have performed in the Biennale d’art Performative de Rouyn-Noranda of Canada, Dazibao Gallery in Montreal, Recto-Verso in Quebec City and numerous galleries around Chicago. Kezia was a 2023 In-Session Fellow at ThreeWalls, studying the Performance and Folklore of Zora Neale Hurston.
Featured Artworks
BLACKMOON, 2023
Performance still
BLOOD RITUAL, 2025
Performance installation
Image by Phillip Groth
EGG RIUTUAL 2022, 2022
Performance video still
Image by Kezia Waters
EGG RITUAL 2023, 2023
Image by Ji Yang
Faeland, 2021
Video performance
Image by Kezia Waters