Collection: Kelani Fatai

Kelani Fatai is a Nigerian artist that was born in Mushin, a commercial area in Lagos. At the age of six, he discovered his passion for drawing. "My dad took me to where I was learning arts under roadside artists," Fatai says. He went on to display his own work on the streets of Lagos in 2014. Soon, Fatai was offered admission to the prestigious Yaba college of Technology, where he studied Fine Arts.

Fatai considered himself one of the "luckiest" artists in Africa after Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, commissioned him to paint the cover of her book entitled "Matriarchy". "I thought it was a joke, like I (didn't) really believe it. I (didn't) think I was fit for that standard," he told the USA TODAY Network. "But she made what I thought was a joke reality, and she really guided me." Knowles' book was featured on Oprah’s book club and Fatai's reputation continued to expand from there. Fatai's artwork has now been exhibited in museums within Nigeria and around the word. With an emphasis on portraits, most of his art reflects the beauty and depth of Blackness. "Some of my paintings have (a) Victorian style of dressing just to promote the richness and uniqueness of Black beauty," he said.