In this exclusive Q&A, we dive into the mind of Kimyon Huggins, the visionary artist behind The Future Is Now Experience, a project that seamlessly bridges the worlds of art, music, and tech. Known for his dynamic live art and multimedia experiences, Kimyon brings a fresh, boundary-pushing approach to creative expression. As part of our partnership for the Exploring the Nexus series, Kimyon will be joining us at “The Future of Color” event, where he’ll bring the experience to life with a special live painting session. Here, he shares the journey that brought him to this point and how he sees the future of art in an increasingly digital, interconnected world.
Scientific Inquirer: Can you describe the journey that led you to bring DJing and art together?
Kimyon Huggins: You mean this iteration of Futures Now, with the live stream, right?
Scientific Inquirer: Yeah, but start with your DJing, then your painting. I want to hear about that.
Kimyon Huggins: I’ve always been a huge music fan. I was that kid predicting hits, saying, “That song’s gonna be number one,” when I was like 10. I’d read “producer” on records and wonder what it meant—like, Michael Jackson’s singing, but who’s the producer? Later, it made sense—the producer oversees the project and makes it happen.
I grew up in Dayton, Ohio. Born in Lansing, Michigan, moved to Dayton at 8. My mom was a high-ranking city official. She did all the hiring and firing for the city’s personnel, including cops and firefighters. That exposure to government work got me interested in politics early on. But my mom put me in good schools. Dayton’s a mixed city, but it’s also welcoming for creators.
I was a social butterfly, always at clubs, and by 15, I was going to nightclubs—it was a revelation. When I found the rave scene, I was hooked.
Scientific Inquirer: Did you start DJing or painting first?
Kimyon Huggins: I was always into music, but I found dance music in college, and I was hooked. I started helping local promoters with artist relations. I met DJs, mostly from Detroit and Chicago, sometimes Europe—all Black artists. They encouraged me to DJ, and after borrowing turntables and practicing, I was hooked.
Scientific Inquirer: How’d you make it to New York?
Kimyon Huggins: It’s a funny story. I met a fashion photographer, Mario Sorrenti, who’s huge in the industry, and he invited me to New York for a photoshoot. That was the catalyst.
When I moved, I dove straight into DJing, practicing every day. I eventually started getting gigs, starting with events for about 300 people, and it just kept growing from there.
Scientific Inquirer: So when did you start painting?
Kimyon Huggins: Painting actually started around the same time I began DJing. My girlfriend at the time had bought a set of pastels, and I ended up taking over her art supplies.
I started drawing on paper pads, then moved to rolls of paper, found objects, and finally larger surfaces like canvases and walls.
Scientific Inquirer: Do you listen to music while painting?
Kimyon Huggins: Yeah, most of the time. I love painting to soul records, and sometimes I’ll play my own music. It creates this whole reflective vibe.
Scientific Inquirer: I see you doing a lot of paste-ups. How long have you been doing those?
Kimyon Huggins: I don’t do them that often; it’s usually commissions that combine photography with abstract expressionist backgrounds.
Gregory Cassagnol: Quick question—between DJing and art, where did the production part come in?
Kimyon Huggins: I interned for Roger Sanchez, and that opened a lot of doors.
I started getting gigs in Europe, dropped out of school, and began a production company. We made a name for ourselves by booking artists that weren’t getting booked in New York but were huge in the DJ scene there.
Scientific Inquirer: So when did The Future Is Now Experience, in its current form, come together?
Kimyon Huggins: The pandemic pushed me to scale down the large multi-artist events. Now, we focus on one artist and a few DJs, creating a new piece every week.
Scientific Inquirer: What’s your artistic goal with it?
Kimyon Huggins: To merge tech and art in a way that’s accessible and to make weekly art pieces that gain value as artists’ reputations grow.
Gregory Cassagnol: How do you see color, sound, and movement integrating? Where does it all come together in your mind?
Kimyon Huggins: The goal is a full immersive experience—360 degrees, my own music and visuals.
Scientific Inquirer: Any upcoming collaborations?
Kimyon Huggins: We’re collaborating with an NFT platform, making NFTs of time-lapse videos with original soundtracks, selling digital NFTs, and driving global sales.
IMAGE CREDIT: Screenshot.
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