Keya Tama, travel journals

First mural at 13, his own name at 17, Los Angeles at 19. Keya Tama trained on the streets and with his family, without going to art school. Now based in New York, this muralist who also works in ceramics knows that a mural gains meaning over time, through the people who pass by and the memories that attach themselves to it. For him, a garment works the same way. He is designing a capsule for Olow where France, South Africa, and New York intersect. Meet an artist who wants his work to live on beyond him.

It all started with your parents, tell us.

Keya : As far back as I can remember, my parents have always painted walls. When they were young, they painted trains together. My father (Tyler B Murphy) was more rooted in the local scene and quickly made a name for himself; he was the one who introduced my mother to graffiti. When I was little, they took me along with them very early on. Later, my father turned to tattooing and my mother (Faith XLVII) became a prolific muralist recognized all over the world. 

The idea of community comes up often in your work, where does it come from?

Keya: I spent a lot of time in my mother's studio, a building filled with artists. From a very young age, I was exposed to all this creativity and a wide range of mediums, with a real sense of friendship among everyone. This organic, community-driven environment has always supported me and still inspires me to build connections wherever I travel.

That's also why I love muralism—it puts you in contact with people who open up their lives to you. These encounters are often very simple and deeply mutual, and they give the work meaning because they are people who are looking for common ground.

Los Angeles, then New York—how did these cities change you?

Keya: Los Angeles surprised me with how accessible it was. I met artists I had always looked up to, whose books I had at home and at school. Almost statue-like figures who helped me see myself as an artist. Seeing Shepard Fairey, for example, really impacted me. I collaborated with many contemporary artists, and that obviously meant a lot. It allowed me to see behind each person: their practice, their obsessions, their way of thinking, the mechanics of their world.

New York, on the other hand, is a more organic city. We spend most of our time walking around, and we constantly run into people and concerts. The culture there is so vibrant that it's hard to ignore, and life becomes magical. Sometimes it's too much, and it's good to return to nature to rebalance that energy.

Your practice has expanded in recent years.

Keya: It's true, I turned to ceramics, did a lot more textile design, and started building a world of my own. Traveling has helped me evolve and deeply inspires me; it reminds me that an infinite number of parallel worlds exist at the same time as mine. It gets me out of my head and my own story, and puts me back in my place in the most useful way possible. I am so touched by what people give me that I want to give it back to them.

What do you bring back from your travels?

Keya: With every trip, I need to synthesize what I have received, and that captivates me. In small towns, there are these ephemeral signs made out of necessity. They have so much soul that they stay with me for years. Some things I saw several years ago, which I never photographed, I keep inside me and hope to echo one day.

The memories of my travels exist in a parallel world, like a dream, and they greatly nourish my drawing. The illustration traditions from around the world particularly move me. Everyone has a unique hand, a lineage, a deeply human heritage that cannot truly be copied.

You invented a term to describe your style, tell us all about it.

Keya: I call it "ancient contemporary minimalism." It synthesizes the contrast between old design and the refinement of modern minimalism. Reducing things to their simplest form while keeping large motifs that seem to come from another era.

In big cities, where the environment is very intense, monochrome colors and simplicity rebalance the space. In rural areas, facing old and unique buildings, it creates a dialogue with the architecture. I work with a grid that takes the dimensions of the building, and I often draw inspiration from what surrounds it. If I can do it all freestyle, that's even better. What I experience before and during the mural is gradually incorporated into it; the wall I paint lives and breathes with its environment.

And the other side of your work?

Keya: I like the term "naïve" illustration. It perfectly expresses the lightness and raw quality I am looking for. I draw endlessly and intuitively, creating countless drawings to compose collages and rework them.

Choosing a few images from thousands, the ones that have a real sensitivity, is a unique and satisfying process. Some seem drawn by another hand, or come from deep within me. They are only born after a long period of inspiration and exploration.

Many of my favorite drawings are very stripped down, yet full of intelligence, because the confidence of the line creates an emotional connection. Overly polished images sometimes lose this effect. I want to keep this raw and naïve side, even if it is calculated to a certain extent.

Let's talk about the capsule with Olow—what was your intention?

Keya: The idea was to find a balance between joy and symbolism. Mixing very joyful pieces with others that are more emotional, filled with symbols of family and connection. I wanted to capture something from my experience of France, South Africa, and New York. Keeping it joyful and simple enough so that the pieces can breathe and complement each other. I also wanted each piece to be a garment I would wear myself. Some are playful, others more refined and understated—I am really happy with them.

How did you design these pieces?

Keya: I wanted the garments to embody this balance between old and contemporary symbolism. When drawing, I really had the silhouette and the body in mind. For one or two of them, I think the result is very powerful. They are things that would have inspired me when I was younger, and it is a path I want to continue exploring.

Ceramics, tapestry, embroidery, clothing... what is the connection?

Keya: Yes, I also do tapestry and ceramics, and I have collaborated with all kinds of embroiderers. This love of craftsmanship connects to clothing, which takes art into the real world like a wall does, while remaining very intimate. I love this human way of embracing art and culture by blending them. Clothing and fashion are fully part of culture, and taking part in this dialogue matters.

A film accompanies the capsule.

Keya: Yes, this film was very fun to make. It was an opportunity to show my experiences in France, my friends, and this playful side of how I see these garments live. We shot it in Paris, Orsay, and in my studio, places where I have spent a lot of time. The idea of the video was to pay tribute to these created pieces, and the way they have nourished my work today.

And now, what is next for your artistic journey  ?

Keya: I work with ceramics, painting, and a lot of illustration and video. I am in the middle of a period of experimentation, which is important to have. Next year, I am going to travel and spend time with my family painting walls in South Africa; I can't wait.

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Interview conducted by Damien Gillet