Akeem Smith
- Born: Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Nationality: Jamaican-American
- Notable Works and Collaborations: No Gyal Can Test (2020) exhibition at Red Bull Arts New York; One Last Cry (2023) installation at Lafayette Anticipations, Paris; collaborations with fashion brands including Hood by Air, Helmut Lang, and Yeezy; founder of the creative label Section 8.
- Signature Style or Philosophy: Uses fashion and archival imagery to explore memory, identity, and cultural history without merging art and fashion.
Akeem Smith is a stylist and artist whose work connects fashion with memory. Born in Brooklyn and raised between New York and Kingston, he grew up surrounded by his family’s involvement in Jamaica’s dancehall scene. His aunt, Paula Ouch, co-founded the House of Ouch, a studio known for creating the bold looks that defined dancehall style in the 1990s.
Smith began collecting photos, VHS tapes, and clothing from that world as a teenager. What started as a family project became No Gyal Can Test, his first major exhibition, shown at Red Bull Arts New York. He has said the archive is “material I gathered over time, starting with my family’s stories,” and that he wants to show how memory changes over time.
In fashion, Smith has styled for Hood by Air, Helmut Lang, and Yeezy. “My career in fashion is what pays the bills, but getting my art practice off the ground is my main focus,” he told Artnet News. In 2023, he presented One Last Cry at Lafayette Anticipations in Paris.
Smith describes his work simply: “I’m not trying to mix the worlds.” Both, however, reveal his way of keeping culture alive through image.