Khari Johnson Ricks is an artist and DJ whose work spans a range of audiovisual media and often exist in the public eye. This includes the production of zines, Works on paper, performances, murals, and nightlife spaces. Through these media he explores the ways that vernacular ritual practice becomes tradition and how the body carries history through movement. By editing, rediscovering, juxtaposing the movement traditions of shotokan Karate, Jersey Club, Weightlifting and various other sports he Highlights the social importance of movement as a non-verbal communication method as well as a community building and mental health tool. Cultivating these movement practices acts as space for sanctuary and becomes a covert language especially for marginalized people; folks that have few opportunities to build concrete institutions for themselves. The collection of movement traditions and the making of new ones continues to be one of the most important reminders of the self and the community and can propel questions of joy, love, safety, health and history. Khariʼs work can be found as permanent murals in Newark, Nj as a part of Ras Barakaʼs Model Neighborhood and Gateways to Newark inititiatives. It could also be found in the library collections of many institutions such as the MET, SFMOMA, MOMA Library, and the Whitney. His work has also be shown at Special Special NYC, HOUSING, and Jeffrey Dietch LA.