In the 1950s, a new art movement pioneered by American artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein emerged. Based heavily on motifs and paintings from popular culture, pop art ballooned into widespread acceptance and iconic pieces that became pop culture themselves. In the 2020s, Franco-Cameroonian artist Fred Ebami is bringing this art movement to make African pop art of African and Black pop culture icons.

The Paris-born artist is hosting his first exhibition in Lagos, Nigeria to showcase his colorful, digitally drawn portraits of African and African-American icons such as Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Nobel winner Wole Soyinka, President of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, American singer Nina Simone, boxing legend Muhammad Ali and rapper Kanye West dressed as former African leader Mobutu with the inscription ‘YES WE KAN-YE’

Paying homage to Warhol, Ebami has recreated the legendary American pop artist’s famous 1962 ‘Campbell’s Soup Cans’ painting of his own versions of African soup dishes peculiar to Nigeria and Cameroon. His four can paintings are prominently labeled as ‘Pepper Soup’, ‘Egusi’ ‘Banga’ and ‘Edikanikong’. Explaining the influence behind these paintings in an interview with AFP, Ebami joked that his paintings of the soup cans are the “African versions though... a bit more spicy!”

Although the artist said his early influences were manga and comics, he, however, admitted it was from Lichtenstein that he borrowed striking features and colors to paint icons that inspire him. Using the paintings of these icons, he also passes messages of hope and solidarity with the African youth and there is no other city to connect with the continent’s heartbeat than the megacity of Lagos, the most populous African city.

“What I want is to make art accessible to everyone,” said Ebami, who is also exhibiting in Brest, in France, and on social media where he widely shares his work.

“Pop art is inspired by popular culture and is critical of a consumerist society, I also want to play with that,” he said. “I don’t want my art to be shown only in galleries, I want it to touch as many people as possible.”

He however asserted that appealing to a broad public doesn’t stop him from tackling political topics ‘to foster a debate, a discussion'. He often uses his art to pay tribute to Black women who are more often than not victims of stereotypical representations inherited from colonial times.

Next to portraits of Angela Davis and Kanye West, visitors are invited to look at the portrait of an unknown black woman with the words ‘Not Your Exotism’ painted on the colorful background.

In addition to the exhibition, the artist has partnered with a Nigerian design brand and sells household objects and a limited edition of T-shirts.