Artist Statement

"Amen, Amen, Amen!" is a portrait of Fela Kuti (1938-1997), the pioneer of Afrobeat music. The portrait is inspired by a 2002 Barkley Hendricks painting of Fela Kuti titled "Fela: Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen". Fela Kuti was the son of a Nigerian women’s rights activist and became known as one of Africa’s most challenging and charismatic music performers. He was outspoken, forward-thinking, ahead of his time, and his music often sent messages using metaphors. The title "Amen, Amen, Amen" is a reference to the first line of lyrics from Fela Kuti's song called "Coffin for Head of State".