Profile  

Maurice Leoni-Osion

Maurice is a multidisciplinary artist and director from Richmond, VA, currently based in Berlin, who uses the culture of hip hop to produce poetry, music, photography, films, arts programs, exhibitions and cultural experiences to celebrate stories and preserve the narratives of our youth, communities and ancestors.

For as long as he can remember, hip-hop has always been like a member of his family who has played an important role in defining who he is. Under her supervision and care, Maurice would rummage through the boxes of his grandmother's record collection, be scolded for marking (writing) names on walls with crayons, watch other family members perform acrobatic dance routines, listen to Muhammad Ali predict his knockout punches in rhyme, and sample the fashion aesthetics of his aunts and uncles. As a result, Maurice has always been endowed with an openness to be creative and daring to explore his own identity and expression. This allowed him to break through the barriers of his living conditions with a newfound imagination and love of storytelling - particularly in initiating a long-lasting oral tradition of rhymes, spoken words, calls and responses, and songs that have shaped his practice as an artist and educator.