British-Nigerian Rapper Skepta Debuts First-Ever Painting, Projected To Sell For As Much As $69K
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British-Nigerian rapper Skepta is showing that his talent is more than what meets the eye.
According to CNN, the rapper, whose real name is Joseph Junior Adenuga, once made quite the name for himself in the British grime rap scene but has now entered a new territory through the world of art.
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Skepta - The Artist
As the guest curator of Sotheby’s “Contemporary Curated” sale, the 39-year-old will step into the role of co-curator unleashing his talents as a painter through a piece that is titled, “Mama Goes to Market.” He describes the painting as a “brought together memory of Nigeria.”
Many people tapped into various hobbies and talents during the COVID-19 lockdown and the “That’s Not Me” emcee was no different, having created the work of art in 2020 as his first painting.
Art Imitating Life
“My mum used to carry me just as the woman in my painting carries her child,” said Skepta in an official press release.
“I always planned to include these four figures: a young boy, two women engrossed in conversation, and another lady rationing rice into a bowl besides baskets brimming with fruit and veg,” he said as a part of a press statement, CNN reports. “I designed their clothes too – ‘Nigerian Couture.'”
A Natural Transition
Skepta also described his transition into art as second nature to his work as a musician.
“When you make music – because it comes with music videos, styling, set design and everything else – you naturally get subsumed into the world of art as well, getting your teeth stuck into different movements (and) styles as a way to inspire your own creativity,” he said, according to CNN.
Integrating Art & Music
He isn’t too far off with that thought either as AfroTech previously reported on the ever-evolving relationship between Hip-Hop and art.
More recently, rap legend Andre 3000 worked alongside New York photographer Deana Lawson and creative director Tremaine Emory for a Supreme launch.
Together, their talent captured the essence of the “ethos of music, emotion, and amplifying both Black art and experience.”
And The Highest Bidder Is...
While CNN reveals Skepta’s “Mama Goes to Market” is expected to sell for anywhere between $46,000 and $69,000, his biggest hope is that it lands in the hands of, “Someone to love it as much as me.”
