Daudi M. Yves is a multidisciplinary contemporary artist living and working in Zambia, with roots in the Congo. He began his artistic journey at the age of 14, developing a practice grounded in themes of identity, memory, migration, and displacement. As a refugee, his work speaks deeply about refugee rights, movement across borders, and the everyday social injustices faced by marginalized communities in Zambia and beyond.

Daudi works with second-hand and found materials, natural colours, charcoal, and paint on used fabrics. His use of these materials is tied to his personal history: his parents traded second-hand clothes, and from that trade they built a life for their family. This memory of transformation giving something discarded a new purpose continues to inspire Daudi’s process. In his hands, these materials find a new life, carrying the stories of people, places, and journeys.

Daudi has exhibited widely within Zambia, working closely with galleries, curators, and fellow artists. In 2024, he was an artist-in-residence at Modzi Arts, where he presented Step of Hope, curated by Sana Ginwalla. He also took part in the Waste No Waste: Trash is Treasure environmental campaign with the Embassy of Italy. His solo exhibition EVERYDAY at Everyday Lusaka highlighted his ongoing exploration of daily life, belonging, and social narratives in Lusaka. His exhibition World in Motion, curated by Luyando Muleya, was shown at Alliance Française de Lusaka and The Art Shop in 2023. His work was included in the Celebration of Zambia’s Talent Art Exhibition at Sugarbush Farm in 2023, Transition: Young Emerging Artists at Mwimbi Fine Art Gallery in 2021, and the Cynthia Zukas Young Artist Awards in 2020. He also illustrated the cover artwork for the late Masawi Junior’s book Coming Out of the Box.

Internationally, Daudi has continued to expand his reach. He participated in the Illicit Financial Flows project with OSISA and Kaumba Arts Gallery in Zimbabwe, as well as An Ode to Joy Through the Midst of Resilience, a group show hosted by the Zambian High Commission in London with African Art 4 Spaces in 2022. Most recently, he exhibited in The Material Turn at Stranger’s House Gallery in Mumbai, curated by George Varley, Shamooda Amrelia, and Prabhakar Kamble, and is an exhibitor at the 2025 India Art Fair with the Young Collector’s Programme. His newest international showing includes his participation in SWIFTS: Art Project for the Synaesthetic Perception of Migratory Species in Spain, further deepening his ongoing exploration of migration, movement, and interconnected ecologies.

Outside his visual art practice, Daudi is an entrepreneur and activist. He founded ChangeClub9, an eco-friendly clothing brand, and the Future Child Foundation, which is committed to uplifting communities through education, creativity, and social support. His work across these fields reflects his belief in art as a catalyst for awareness, healing, and change.

Through his practice, Daudi continues to explore how materials, memories, and stories can cross borders, and how art can hold space for hope, resilience, and collective belonging.