Skepta is a British-Nigerian artist, musician, producer and designer whose work has had a defining influence on contemporary British culture. Born and raised in Tottenham, North London, he emerged from the grime scene in the early 2000s and went on to become one of the genre’s most internationally recognised figures. Alongside his brother JME, he co-founded Boy Better Know, establishing an independent platform through which he has consistently retained creative control over his music and wider practice.

His 2016 album Konnichiwa won the Mercury Prize and marked a pivotal moment in the global recognition of grime. Since then, Skepta’s practice has continued to expand beyond music, encompassing fashion, visual culture, performance and design. Through projects including his fashion label MAINS, DJ work and collaborations across art, music and fashion, he has developed a distinct visual and cultural language shaped by independence, experimentation and the intersection of his British and Nigerian identities.

Questions of identity, environment and self-determination have remained central to Skepta’s work throughout his career. His practice frequently draws on the experience of moving between cultures, disciplines and public identities, while resisting the expectations and classifications placed upon him by the music industry and wider culture.

In 2026, CIRCA commissioned Skepta to create DILIGENT, a new work conceived for public space. Presented through CIRCA’s programme of public screens, the commission brings together a series of statements, observations and personal convictions that reflect on the forces that shape an individual, from family and environment to culture, media, fear and ambition. DILIGENT marks a further expansion of Skepta’s practice, translating ideas previously expressed through music and conversation into a visual language of text, image and public space.