KDX, born Daniel Shomefun, is a Nigerian-Irish artist whose creative output takes many shapes, from hip-hop to painting and poetry. Alongside his work, exercise has become a defining part of how he understands himself. “I wasn’t fat, but I had a little round shape like an American football”, he says, reflecting on what brought him to the gym in the first place. Despite later building a remarkable physique, self-criticism of his body image remained. “It went up, down, up, down,” he recalls, before he eventually reached a point of clarity.
“The gym became more of a thing to help my mental, especially in times of overthinking or getting out of your head”, he says. “The main thing in my head is am I healthy? Am I strong? Am I flexible?”.
Shomefun’s approach to both fitness and artistry is driven by consistency as much as passion. Over time, training became less about appearance and more about showing up for himself. The lessons it teaches, he explains, have become part of a wider philosophy that shapes his everyday life. “When you’re getting so used to pushing yourself constantly, the little day-to-day activities, you have more discipline for them”.
At his home studio in Galway, KDX spoke with Normal’s Jake Carroll about his fitness journey and how it has helped shape his world view.