Ian Kamau is an artist, writer, and designer who grew up in the Esplanade (St. Lawrence) neighbourhood of downtown Toronto. He has featured on projects by K-OS and Shad, and released seven independent projects including Love & Other Struggles (2010) and the self-produced album One Day Soon (2011).

The son of pioneering filmmakers Claire Prieto and Roger McTair, Kamau has toured through Africa, Europe, and Canada with his music and writing; including a fifteen city, twenty-two show tour through South and East Africa in 2012. He has published articles, short stories, and poems in publications by Vice, Coach House Press, and Book Thug including the short story Wilton St. published in the Toronto Book Award nominated Unpublished City edited by Dionne Brand.

While working as a program coordinator at Schools Without Borders Kamau co-founded Nia Centre for the Arts, a Black arts centre and became the founding creative director. He holds a Bachelor in Design and a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University, and a Masters in Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD University. His research interests include cultural production, storytelling, and critical city building with a focus on actualization.

As a artist in residence at The Theatre Centre Kamau has developed Loss, a Live-Arts Multi-Media performance that explores the trauma of loss in Afro-Caribbean communities. Workshop performances were mounted at the Luminato Festival in Toronto, La Chapelle Theatre in Montreal.

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