Lemi Ghariokwu is the artist who was responsible for creating Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti‘s iconic album covers, which not only illustrated his outstanding talent as a visual artist but also how he used art to create political statements apropos to Kuti’s prolific message. Punch Records has secured the rights to the graphic designer and fine artist’s archive and has partnered with the BASS Music Festival (British Arts and Street Sounds), to tour the Art’s Own Kind exhibit across the UK starting on June 9 at the Rich Mix in Shoreditch, London.

Opening night will bring key Afrobeat players, such as pioneer Tony Allen, who was Kuti’s musical director and drummer; Wunmi (the Queen of Afrobeat); Rich Medina (of Jump n’ Funk, NYC); and the visual artist, Lemi Ghariokwu for performance and panel discussion. The Art’s Own Kind exhibit is scheduled to end July 6.

I remember looking at the album cover for Marvin Gaye’s I Want You for hours while listening to it over and over. With each look, I’d see a different detail I hadn’t caught before.

Ernie Barnes (15 July 1938 – 27 April 2009), was a prolific artist and we never really knew the man; we just basked in his art. In the 60s, Barnes played offensive guard for five seasons in the American Football League. After painting The Sugar Shack, his work got featured throughout 70s sitcom Good Times, he was named the official artist of the 1984 Summer Olympics, and received the 1984 and 2004 Sport Artist of the Year award. In 1999, rap group Camp Lo recreated The Sugar Shack for their album cover Uptown Saturday Night and in 2004, Kanye West commissioned Barnes to paint a self-portrait entitled A Life Restored, after West’s life threatening car accident. The painting measures 9 ft x 10 ft and hangs from West’s dining room ceiling.

His work featured elongated figures in motion, where his use of colors created smooth yet detailed textures. An outstanding artist who will be sorely missed. His timeless work will live on through us. Check out Kanye West’s website to see some of his work.

Listen to “Soon I’ll Be Loving You” taken from my all-time favorite Marvin Gaye album, I Want You

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Although Eryka Badu started B.L.I.N.D. (Beautiful Love Incorporated Non-Profit Development), a Dallas based non-profit organization to create community-based programs for inner city youth in 1997, it’s beginning to gain more exposure with its current venture with visual artist Steve Lopez, who created the “Amerykahn Promise” painting of Erkya above. Maybe it’s her complexity, randomness, and uniqueness, which make her such an arresting subject, causing artists to galvanize her in such incredibly ways. “Amerykahn Promise” is truly captivating. Using the Giclée (pronounced “zhee-clay”) technique of printing, only 100 repros have been made for this auction, each is personally signed by Erkya with a portion of all proceeds going to the B.L.I.N.D. organization. Watch the video below to hear more about the project.