Kia Michelle Benbow

Kia Michelle Benbow, known professionally as Kia LaBeija, is an image maker and storyteller  born and raised in the heart of New York City, Hell’s Kitchen. She composes theatrical autobiographical works ranging from photography, live performance, text based mediums, and film. She’s presented work at The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Tate Modern, The Brooklyn Museum, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Museum of The City of New York, The Bronx Museum of the Arts,  Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The International Center for Photography, The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, and the Performa ’19 Biennial.

Heavily involved in New York’s Iconic House and Ballroom scene for over a decade, Kia was a member of the Royal House of LaBeija from 2012 to 2019, serving as the Overall Mother from 2017 to 2019. She received a BA from the New School University and is currently pursuing an MFA in Fine Arts. She is a 2019 Creative Capital Awardee alongside her partner Taína Larot.

Photo: Taína Larot.