Demi Lashawn Keilu

Dem’s current interests are in telling Black stories within a diverse range of artistic disciplines, while also giving a platform for other artists to express their own experiences through their work. He explores Afro-Surrealism in his writings and film work; Creative Pop in poetry and Minimal Brutalism in his design work. He hopes his work can be a Trojan horse of Black excellence.

Dem works as a filmmaker, designer, painter, writer, and furniture designer. He holds a B.A. in architecture from Morgan State University, an M.A. in Social Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and an M.F.A. in filmmaking, also from MICA.

Dem was a 2013 Artscape Student Awardee; a 2013 AIA Emerging Design Professional Awardee; a 2015 Gensler Architecture Impact Awardee; a 2015 Johns Hopkins Social Innovation Lab Fellow; a 2016 Rose Fellowship Finalist; a 2016 Winter Warnock Baltimore Social Innovation Winner; and a 2021 AICAD Fellow.

He resides in NYC and is a visiting professor with the Columbus College of Art & Design and the School of Visual Arts for 2022-2023.