FAMOUS ARTIST Lemi Ghariokwu

Lemi Abiodun Ghariokwu, born Emmanuel Sunday on 26 December 1955 in Agege, Lagos – Nigeria.
He is originally from Agbor in Delta State but spent his life deeply rooted in Lagos. Raised in Igbobi, Fadeyi, alongside his parents and siblings, he often spent long school vacations in Ajegunle, an environment that further shaped his cultural awareness. Although his father encouraged him to pursue mechanical engineering, leading him to attend Yaba College of Technology Secondary School to study technical and science subjects, Lemi’s formal education ended there. Determined to follow his true passion, he chose to train himself as an artist, continually expanding his knowledge through extensive reading and personal study. Influenced by reggae music, metaphysical literature, and revolutionary thinkers such as Fela Kuti, Peter Tosh, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah, and Steve Biko, he developed a strong sense of personal and social consciousness that would define his artistic voice. Lemi is married and blessed with four children: Asilem Eweka, Tamara Ajasa, Omotosho, and Odafin-Nevo Shekinah.

Lemi Ghariokwu is one of Africa’s greatest visual artists. Lemi has a career spanning almost 40 years which includes designing 26 original cover images for the Nigerian musician legend, Fela Kuti. Lemi also has over 2,000 other album cover designs to his credit including covers for Bob Marley and a host of other music legends. Lemi’s style of art is influenced by his deep philosophical views on social and political events. His designs are multi-faceted and combine a variety of styles and media. Lemi was a member of Fela’s much loved Young African Pioneers. These self-proclaimed rebels supported Fela’s music with their art, poetry and writings. Lemi’s relationship with Fela Kuti was very close and he was often mentored and advised by the Afrobeat legend. Ghariokwu’s works are in the collection of art and afrobeat lovers around the world. His painting, Anoda Sistem, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Ghariokwu’s work spans a dynamic range of styles, distinguished by vibrant colours and the unique typefaces he designs himself. His art has been described as rebellious, comical, political, and at times erotic, yet above all, he is recognized as a master of pictorial narration, realism, and visual iconography. Many of his album cover designs do more than illustrate; they echo, interpret, and often critique the themes and politics of the music they accompany, functioning as deliberate meta-textual extensions of the recordings. Renowned for his captivating and intricate record sleeve designs, Ghariokwu consistently brings lyrics to life through imagery that is bold, detailed, and deeply expressive.

Ghariokwu’s work spans a dynamic range of styles, distinguished by vibrant colours and the unique typefaces he designs himself. His art has been described as rebellious, comical, political, and at times erotic, yet above all, he is recognized as a master of pictorial narration, realism, and visual iconography. Many of his album cover designs do more than illustrate—they echo, interpret, and often critique the themes and politics of the music they accompany, functioning as deliberate meta-textual extensions of the recordings. Renowned for his captivating and intricate record sleeve designs, Ghariokwu consistently brings lyrics to life through imagery that is bold, detailed, and deeply expressive.
Over more than a decade, Lemi Ghariokwu’s work has been showcased in numerous significant exhibitions across the world, reflecting his influence on contemporary African art and visual culture. His early exhibitions include Lagos: Past and Present at the Muson Centre and Nimbus Art Center in Lagos in 2002, followed by collaborative and group shows in New York, such as the 2003 Southfirst Gallery exhibition and the landmark Black President: The Art and Legacy of Fela Anikulapo Kuti at the New Museum of Contemporary Art. In 2004, he participated in Works on Paper and had his story documented in the film Everybody’s Gotta Be Somebody, which premiered in both New York and London. That same year, he held his first UK solo exhibition, P.E.A.C.E., at the Spitz Gallery. His work continued to gain international visibility through exhibitions such as Eyes of Africa in the UK (2006), a three-person political cartoon showcase at Southfirst Gallery (2006), and group shows including AmeriKKKa (2007) and From Taboo to Icon in Philadelphia (2007).